Project description
Understanding nanoplastics and emerging contaminants in the environment
While nanoplastics are widespread in air and water systems, an accurate assessment of their environmental and health risks is missing. Supported by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the UNFENCED project will investigate how nanoplastics interact with emerging contaminants such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides and PFAS under realistic environmental conditions. The project will study three key systems involving aged plastics and pollutant mixtures in freshwater, wastewater-influenced environments and the atmosphere. It will combine high-resolution mass spectrometry, cheminformatics, photochemical modelling and field validation to track how these interactions influence contaminant transport, transformation and toxicity. The results will be used to develop mechanistic models and validated datasets. UNFENCED will improve our understanding of combined plastic-chemical pollution and support more accurate environmental risk assessment.
Objective
Nanoplastics (NPs) are a heterogeneous class of materials formed by the fragmentation and weathering of plastics, now ubiquitous in aquatic and atmospheric compartments. Their nanoscale properties enable strong interactions with emerging contaminants (ECs) such as pharmaceuticals, pesticides, and PFAS, influencing transport, transformation, and toxicity. Yet current monitoring and risk assessment rarely address NP-EC dynamics under realistic environmental conditions, leaving critical knowledge gaps for ecosystem and human health protection.
The project UNFENCED- Unravelling Nanoplastics: The Fate of Emerging Contaminants and Nanoplastics Concomitance in Environmental Dynamics will develop advanced analytical workflows and mechanistic models to map how NPs drive the persistence and biological effects of ECs. Three flagship NP-EC systems will be studied: (i) aged polystyrene + carbamazepine in freshwater, (ii) aged polypropylene + diclofenac in wastewater-influenced systems, and (iii) secondary atmospheric NPs + PFAS. High-resolution mass spectrometry, cheminformatics, and photochemical modelling will be integrated with field validation campaigns, directly linking chemical fingerprints with ecotoxicological outcomes.
UNFENCED will deliver validated datasets, open protocols, and a roadmap for NP-EC risk assessment, providing tools for regulators, utilities, and industry in line with the EU Zero Pollution Action Plan and water safety regulations. Beyond science, impact will be maximized through policy briefs, an interactive open-data dashboard, and a dedicated industry workshop. Guided by supervisors Prof. Federico Bianchi and Prof. Monica Passananti at the University of Helsinki, I will acquire advanced expertise in atmospheric processes and photochemical modelling, consolidating my career as an independent researcher at the interface of environmental chemistry and regulatory innovation.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- medical and health sciences basic medicine pharmacology and pharmacy pharmaceutical drugs
- engineering and technology materials engineering amorphous solids organic amorphous solids
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.1.2 - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA)
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Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
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Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships
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Call for proposal
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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF
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00014 Helsinki
Finland
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