Plastic in the environment – sources, sinks, solutions
UGT GmbH visited the Kick-Off Meeting of the RUSEKU – “Representative Research Strategies for an Integrative System Understanding of Specific Inputs of Plastics into the Environment” project at the Federal Environmental Agency, Umweltbundesamt in Berlin. It is certain that microplastics can be found almost everywhere in the environment. The project focuses on the development of new methods for better and faster measurement of microplastic content in different parts of the water cycle.
The UGT GmbH was represented by Christian Budach (M. Sc. Geoecology). As part of the working package: Development of sampling methods, he gave an overview of the state of the art of sediment sampler.
Artificial stream and pond system at the Umweltbundesamt in Marienfelde. photo credit: BAM
Besides the academic understanding of microplastic entry sources, causes and paths, market-ready procedures for efficient microplastic sampling should be developed in this project. These solutions should form a basis for legislative evaluation and for standardization in sampling procedures in urban sewage systems and in rivers.
Microplastic in water. photo credit: BAM
“Plastic can be found everywhere in today’s world – in the arctic, on the ocean floor, and on uninhabited islands. Tiny plastic particles have even been found to be present in the cells of animals and plants. Our knowledge of the extent of plastic contamination, however, is surprisingly low: exactly how much plastic is swimming in the oceans, where it comes from, how it behaves in rivers and seas, and what effects it might have on animal and humans, remains largely unknown.” (bmbf-plastik.de)
More information about the RUSEKU project:
Joint Project in “ Plastik in der Umwelt“
RUSEKU press release
RUSEKU website
These are the partners of the project RUSEKU:
