Status Report Analysis of Microplastics

Sampling, Preparation and Detection Methods

Publication: Document
Citation: Braun, Ulrike & Stein, Ulf & Schritt, Hannes & Altmann, Korinna & Bannick, Claus Gerhard & Becker, Roland & Bitter, Hajo & Bochow, Mathias & Dierkes, Georg & Enders, Kristina et al. (2021): Analysis of Microplastics. Sampling, Preparation and Detection Methods. Status Report within the framework program Plastics in the Environment.

This status report was prepared within the framework of the cross-cutting issue 1 "Analytics and reference materials" of the research focus Plastics in the Environment. It summarizes the contents of the project discussions and coordination within the cross-cutting issue. The organization of this ongoing process of development or elaboration has been supported by several events between 2018 and 2020.

The status report presents a summary of the physicochemical methods for the analysis of MP used in the research focus. The present recommendations are based on the current state of knowledge of the analysis of MP and are directed at actors in science as well as potential users in practice.

Scientists from the following collaborative projects of the research focus participated in the preparation of the status report via workshops, contributions and feedback loops: EmiStop, ENSURE, MicBin, MicroCatch_Balt, MikroPlaTaS, PLASTRAT, PLAWES, RAU, REPLAWA, RUSEKU, SubμTrack and TextileMission as well as the two predecessor projects MiWa and BASEMAN.

Towards an Effective Science-Policy Interface for a Global Plastics Treaty

Year 2024

Publication:Policy Brief

Amidst intense global efforts to tackle plastic pollution, the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty highlights the critical role of reducing primary plastic polymers. The Scientists' Coalition, consisting of leading scientists worldwide, argues in its latest policy brief that without a significant reduction in the production of these polymers, the effective fight against plastic pollution is not possible. The urgent call aims to draw attention to the need to break the plastic cycle at its source - the production of primary plastic polymers. This approach is crucial as it directly reduces the amount of plastics that end up in our environment.

Primary Plastic Polymers: Urgently needed upstream reduction

Year 2024

Presentation:Speech

On 13 March 2024, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute) gave a lecture on "Plastics and the Environment" highlighting the need for a global plastics treaty at a postgraduate course, where 21 experts from ministries, authorities, municipalities, non-governmental organizations and industry from low-income countries and emerging economies were represented and exchanged. The focus was on why plastic pollution is a problem and why we urgently need an international, legally binding plastics treaty.

Plastics & the Environment – Why We Need a Plastics Treaty

13 March 2024
Doris Knoblauch

News

Doris Knoblauch was an observer at the negotiations in Nairobi during the week and, as part of the Scientists' Coalition for an Effective Plastics Treaty (Scientist's Coalition for short), provided various negotiating delegations with scientific information. The Scientist's Coalition is an independent network of scientists around the world who conduct research on plastics, chemicals, and health, covering various disciplines and aspects. A team was on site to answer open questions quickly, scientifically and independently.

UN Negotiations on a Potential Plastics Agreement were Stuck in Nairobi

A long way to go

13 - 19 November 2023

Publication:Article

Plastics Treaty Text Must Center Ecosystems

Letter in Science

Year 2023

Publication:Article

This article illustrates the communication strategies that were successfully applied in the citizen science program Plastic Pirates in Germany. The program engages schoolchildren, teachers and youth groups in plastic pollution research. A variety of communication strategies have been implemented and continuously revised and adapted since the start of the program in 2016.

Sharing Communication Insights of the Citizen Science Program Plastic Pirates

Best practices from 7 years of engaging schoolchildren and teachers in plastic pollution research

Year 2023

News

Photo, taken during the plastic negotiations. Text "Help us to empower the independent voice of science by supporting our involvement in the plastics treaty negotiations" and a donation button

Ecologic Institute is a UN-accredited voice for a global plastics agreement. But we lack funding for the next decisive round of negotiations in Busan (South Korea) in November 2024. By participating, we are contributing to counteracting lobbying and enabling delegates to be properly informed. In Ottawa, we are currently providing specialist information on the effects of plastic production and consumption. Your donation will enable us to strengthen independent science and continue this important work!

Strengthen the Independent Voice of Science

Support our participation in the global plastics negotiations!

22 April 2024

News

After the euphoria had been dampened at the beginning of the negotiation week in Paris, there was a good result in the end: The Chair H.E. Mr. Gustavo Adolfo Meza-Cuadra Velasquez and the INC Secretariat were given a mandate to present a first draft ("zero draft") in the run-up to the next negotiations. This is an important next step. Doris Knoblauch accompanied the INC-2 negotiations in Paris for Ecologic Institute.

Why the Negotiations on the UN Plastics Agreement in Paris were a Success

An important step

29 May - 2 June 2023

Publication:Book

For many people, plastic bottles have become an indispensable part of everyday life. However, the production and throwing away of plastic bottles is harmful to the environment and the climate. Ideally, PET bottles are recycled and reused. But what happens to the bottles during the recycling process? "Die Geisterstunde" by Christian Tielmann is the third PIXI book produced as part of the BMBF research focus "Plastics in the Environment" with Stiftung Lesen and Carlsen Verlag and is dedicated to the recycling of plastic bottles.

Die Geisterstunde

Year 2023

Languages

German

English

Authorship

Hannes Schritt

Dr. Ulf Stein

Dr. Ulrike Braun (German Federal Institute of Material Reserach (BAM))

Credits

Contributing authors:
Dr. Korinna Altmann, BAM Berlin, Dr. Claus G. Bannick, UBA Berlin, Dr. Roland Becker, BAM Berlin, Hajo Bitter, TU Darmstadt, Dr. Mathias Bochow, GFZ Potsdam, Dr. Ulrike Braun, BAM Berlin, Dr. Georg Dierkes, BfG Koblenz, Dr. Kristina Enders, IOW Warnemünde, Dr. Kyriakos A. Eslahian, BS-Partikel GmbH Mainz, Dr. Dieter Fischer, IPF Dresden, Dr. Corinna Földi, BfG Koblenz, Prof. Monika Fuchs, HTW Berlin, PD Dr. Gunnar Gerdts, AWI Helgoland, Dr. Christian Hagendorf, Fraunhofer CSP Halle, Claudia Heller, HTW Berlin, PD Dr. Natalia P. Ivleva, TU München, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Martin Jekel, Prof. Dr. Jutta Kerpen, Hochschule RheinMain, Franziska Klaeger, IOW Warnemünde, Dr. Oliver Knoop, TU München, Prof. Dr. Matthias Labrenz, IOW Warnemünde, Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch, Universität Bayreuth, Nathan Obermaier, UBA Berlin, Dr. Sebastian Primpke, AWI Helgoland, Dr. Jens Reiber, WESSLING GmbH, Dr. Susanne Richter, Fraunhofer CSP, Mathias Ricking, UBA Berlin, Dr. Barbara Scholz-Böttcher, Universität Oldenburg, Dr. Friederike Stock, BfG Koblenz, Dr. Stephan Wagner, UFZ Leipzig, PD Dr. Katrin Wendt-Potthoff, UFZ Magdeburg, Dr. Nicole Zumbülte, TZW Karlsruhe

Acknowledgments
The authors want to thank Dr. Saskia Ziemann, Daniel Venghaus, Markus Gahleitner, Cordula Witzig, Dr. Ingo Sartorius, Dr. Sabine Lindner, Marco Kunaschk, Dr. Korbinian Freier, Katharina Wörle, Dr. Christian Scheid and Dr. Peter Schweyen for their valuable comments and contributions to this paper.

Funding

Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), Germany

Year

2021

Dimension

66 pp.

Project

Scientific Coordination of Research Projects on "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions" (PlastikNet)

Project ID

Table of contents

Click to show full table of contents

Keywords

Plastics

Further Links

Plastic in the Environment

PublicationDocumentMicroplastics Analytics

Diskussionspapier

This discussion paper, edited by Ecologic Institute, presents the physicochemical investigation methods used in the research focus "Plastics in the Environment", in particular for the analysis of microplastics. Therefore, representatives of the joint research projects... Read more

Braun, Ulrike; Jekel, Martin; Gerdts, Gunnar; Ivleva, Natalia; Reiber, Jens (2018): Discussion Paper Microplastics Analytics. Sampling, Preparation and Detection Methods. Discussion paper published in the course of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions". Berlin: Ecologic Institute.