Wear and tear from tyres significantly contributes to the flow of (micro-)plastics into the environment. This paper compiles the fragmented knowledge on tyre wear and tear characteristics, amounts of particles emitted, pathways in the environment, and the possible effects on humans. The estimated per capita emission ranges from 0.23 to 4.7 kg/year, with a global average of 0.81 kg/year. The emissions from car tyres (100%) are substantially higher than those of other sources of microplastics, e.g., airplane tyres (2%), artificial turf (12–50%), brake wear (8%) and road markings (5%). Emissions and pathways depend on local factors like road type or sewage systems. The relative contribution of tyre wear and tear to the total global amount of plastics ending up in our oceans is estimated to be 5–10%. In air, 3–7% of the particulate matter (PM2.5) is estimated to consist of tyre wear and tear, indicating that it may contribute to the global health burden of air pollution which has been projected by the World Health Organization (WHO) at 3 million deaths in 2012. The wear and tear also enters our food chain, but further research is needed to assess human health risks. It is concluded here that tyre wear and tear is a stealthy source of microplastics in our environment, which can only be addressed effectively if awareness increases, knowledge gaps on quantities and effects are being closed, and creative technical solutions are being sought. This requires a global effort from all stakeholders; consumers, regulators, industry and researchers alike.

Since the 1950s the amount of plastics in the marine environment has increased dramatically. Worldwide there is a growing concern about the risks and possible adverse effects of (micro)plastics. This paper reflects on the sources and effects of marine litter and the effects of policies and other actions taken worldwide. Current knowledge offers a solid basis for effective action. Yet, so far the effects of policies and other initiatives are still largely insufficient. The search for appropriate responses could be based on possible interventions and profound understanding of the context specific factors for success. Moreover, the scope, timeframe and dynamics of all initiatives are distinctly different and orchestration at all levels, in close cooperation with one another is currently lacking

Microplastics have become ubiquitous in the marine environment. Microplastics have been detected in many coastal environments and species, including commercial seafood. This triggers concern about potential economic impacts and the risks of dietary exposure, especially for coastal communities. However, data regarding the levels of microplastics in coastal seafood and their toxicological effects are still limited. Accordingly, the dietary risk is still poorly explored. This review summarizes and discusses recent scientific findings on (i) the presence of microplastics in coastal waters, (ii) the occurrence of microplastics in coastal seafood and the likelihood of trophic transfer, and (iii) the effects of microplastics on coastal fish and shellfish species. Human toxicity data are also reviewed, but the risks for human health are difficult to determine due to limited data. Based on available worldwide data, the estimation of microplastics intake through seafood consumption shows a huge variation. Additionally, a lack of standardized analytical methods complicates the comparison of results between studies and therefore seriously affects the reliability of risk assessments. It is concluded that more exposure and toxicity data are needed properly to assess human health risks of microplastics in coastal seafood, and the lack of data currently impede the derivation of a risk-based food safety standard. The pros and cons of an interim solution, i.e. setting a provisional action level, are being discussed.

This paper examines how learning outcomes from playing serious games can be enhanced by including scripted collaboration in the game play. We compared the quality of advisory reports, that students in the domain of water management had to draw up for an authentic case problem, both before and after collaborating on the problem with (virtual) peer students. Peers studied the case from either an ecological or governance perspective, and during collaboration both perspectives had to be confronted and reflected upon. This paper argues why such type of workplace-based learning scenarios are important for professional development, describes how serious gaming scenarios can be designed to support such complex learning, and reports data on student satisfaction and learning effects of including scripted collaboration. Preliminary results from a pilot study with 12 students show that including scripted collaboration significantly enhances the quality of learning outcomes. Collaboration and serious games for complex learningSerious games are games that can educate, train or inform, either because they have been deliberately designed for learning or just happen to do so by coincidence. Educators call them 'serious' to denote that they are not just fun to play, but also hold potential as cognitive tools for learning and professional development (eg, Michael & Chen, 2006;Prensky, 2006;Rayburn, 2007). Serious games are supposed to offer many new learning opportunities and positive effects on learner motivation and learning outcomes (eg, De Freitas, 2006;Kiili, 2007;Shaffer, 2006). As opposed to serious games, leisure (or amusement) games have already become adopted widely by the new generation of learners. The leisure games industry and educational institutes so far barely have worked together, and continue to act from separated worlds and objectives. The mind set on learning exudes an air of calm reflection, concentration and investigation, while the mind set on gaming is driven by amusement, fast fun and relaxation. Also, to counterbalance this presumed contradiction, educators have started using the term 'serious games' to indicate that games can be both instructive and meaningful for learning, and playful and fun at the same time. Technology (2010Technology ( ) doi:10.1111Technology ( /j.1467Technology ( -8535.2010 Serious games can provide immersive learning opportunities. Some appear crucial for competences required for modern citizens and professionals in business and industry in the current information age. Learning can no longer remain restricted to acquiring knowledge of content matter, but also has to deal with selecting and using this knowledge for certain problem situations in the workplace. Such more complex learning is about acquiring competences like information skills, media literacy, problem-solving, communication and collaboration, and critical reflection about wicked problems. Such competences are usually not addressed by other learning platforms (Gee, 2003). The objective of this study was to see ...

No abstract

This article analyzes past and future trends in nutrient export of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and phosphorus by rivers into the coastal waters of Indonesia. The focus is on 19 rivers included in the Global Nutrients Export from WaterSheds model. In the past, export of dissolved inorganic nitrogen by rivers doubled, while export of other forms of nitrogen and phosphorus by rivers did not change largely. For future trends of four Millennium Ecosystem Assessment scenarios, the largest increases are calculated for river export of dissolved inorganic phosphorus by rivers caused by increased inputs from sewage systems. The export of other nutrient forms is relatively constant in time, which is surprising, given the growing population and the associated increasing inputs of nitrogen and phosphorus to the land. Changes in export by rivers are the net effect of human activities and changes in hydrology. The results indicate that future increases in nitrogen and phosphorus inputs on land are partly counterbalanced by decreases in basin discharge as a result of climate change and consumptive water use. These results differ from other Asian regions, for which large increases in nitrogen and phosphorus inputs to coastal waters are calculated. This can be explained by population growth, gross domestic product increase, and sewage system development.

No abstract

No abstract