Conference background

The conference has two-fold objectives:

• Dissemination of knowledge and innovative solutions, generated by the LimnoPlast project

The conference will disseminate knowledge and innovative solutions, resulting from the LimnoPlast project’s cutting-edge inter-disciplinary research to the global scientific community, decision-makers, stakeholders and the general public. In particular, Early-Stage Researchers (ESRs) (PhD candidates of the LimnoPlast project) will present their research findings and discuss their policy implications with stakeholders.

• A global discussion platform on freshwater microplastic pollution

The final symposium will be a major platform to discuss the project’s outcomes with stakeholders and provide decisive advice to policy makers. It is also a unique opportunity to confront views of stakeholders towards not only the freshwater MP issue but also micro- and macro-plastics in general. The event will be an excellent opportunity to integrate the political dimension of the issue by providing advice for policy makers and increase the awareness of societal actors.

BACKGROUND

Plastics (i.e., synthetic polymers) have become an indispensable part of our daily life. On the other hand, plastic litter is an unavoidable marker of the Anthropocene as plastic pollution has become a major global environmental and societal issue of this century in addition to climatic change, biodiversity loss and material crisis. Of particular concern is microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems and the ocean. Microplastics are tiny plastic particles or pieces that either are produced in microscopic sizes for personal and industrial applications (such as microbeads in personal-care products, or industrial pellets), or result from the breakdown and fragmentation of plastic items discarded in the environment.

Microplastics have been detected ubiquitously all over the planet from the atmosphere to freshwater ecosystems and the deep sea. Microplastic pollution is a potential emerging risk to ecosystems and society. Microplastics are small, mobile and persistent in the environment. Thus, these tiny plastic waste particles and fragments are bioavailable for a broad range of biota, transfer through food webs and may negatively affect ecosystems. These ecological and economical risks resonate in society, with a growing global concern about the environmental and health effects of microplastics.

There is political awareness and willingness to solve the global plastic pollution; for example, the adoption in March 2022 of the new UNEA Resolution “End Plastic Pollution: Towards a legally binding instrument”. However, the political attention and most actions on combatting the plastic pollution mainly focus on the ocean, as is the focus of the new UNEA Resolution on marine plastic pollution. In contrast, emerging research demonstrates that most plastic litter is produced on land and alerts that freshwater ecosystems are heavily polluted by microplastics making them a major pathway of microplastic emissions to the ocean. Yet, there is limited scientific understanding and research on freshwater microplastic pollution, nor political commitments. Accordingly, this knowledge and awareness gap on freshwater microplastic pollution needs to be addressed urgently via research and communication.

The complexity and global scale of plastic pollution represent a daunting challenge. Plastic and microplastic pollution is a “wicked problem” that is highly interconnected to the economy, environment, and society through interdependent benefits and risks at multiple levels in various sectors. The existing knowledge on microplastics is compartmented, whereas a comprehensive understanding of the environmental, technological, economic and societal complexity of plastic and microplastic pollution is lacking. In addition, gaps in scientific understanding on freshwater microplastic pollution cause considerable uncertainty that prevents appropriate prioritisation and implementation of prevention and mitigation measures to combat the global plastic and microplastic pollution.

 A NEW SCIENTIFIC APPROACH. Acknowledging that the plastic pollution is a “wicked problem”, we need to develop a holistic, transdisciplinary and cross-sectoral approach that breaks down the traditional barriers between different scientific disciplines and economic sectors. For this purpose, the EU Horizon 2020 research cooperation Project “Microplastics in Europe’s Freshwater Ecosystems: from Sources to Solutions” (LimnoPlast), with UNESCO as an official partner organization, created a research network that combines environmental, engineering/technical and social/behavioural sciences as key disciplines studying and transforming the “Plastic Age”. This unique combination of expertise and competences will advance significantly our scientific understanding of the freshwater microplastic pollution, promote a step change in responses to the plastics challenge, and boost the development of innovative solutions.

 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 860720