Finding the Balance between Research and Monitoring: When Are Methods Good Enough to Understand Plastic Pollution?

Abstract

Plastic pollution is an international environmental problem. Desire to act is shared from the public to policymakers, yet motivation and approaches are diverging. Public attention is directed to reducing plastic consumption, cleaning local environments, and engaging in citizen science initiatives. Policymakers and regulators are working on prevention and mitigation measures, while international, regional, and national bodies are defining monitoring recommendations. Research activities are focused on validating approaches to address goals and comparing methods. Policy and regulation are eager to act on plastic pollution, often asking questions researchers cannot answer with available methods. The purpose of monitoring will define which method is implemented. A clear and open dialogue between all actors is essential to facilitate communication on what is feasible with current methods, further research, and development needs. For example, some methods can already be used for international monitoring, yet limitations including target plastic types and sizes, sampling strategy, available infrastructure and analytical capacity, and harmonization of generated data remain. Time and resources to advance scientific understanding must be balanced against the need to answer pressing policy issues.

Differentiating Microplastics from Natural Particles in Aqueous Suspensions Using Flow Cytometry with Machine Learning

“…To further enhance our approach, several avenues could be explored, including (1) utilizing additional FC settings to capture unique features of MPs, such as using UV laser light for excitation since MPs can absorb UV light. This could provide valuable information for differentiating polymer composition.…”

“…Freshwater systems link terrestrial sources of plastics pollution and the ocean, which highlights their significance in understanding the associated transport pathways of microplastics (MPs). 1,2 MPs (<5 mm in size) enter the environment either directly (primary MPs) or are generated through the fragmentation of macroplastics due to physical and chemical weathering processes (secondary MPs). 3 Currently, there are no standardized approaches to measure MPs, and monitoring MPs in freshwater can be challenging.…”

“…Freshwater systems link terrestrial sources of plastics pollution and the ocean, which highlights their significance in understanding the associated transport pathways of microplastics (MPs). , MPs (<5 mm in size) enter the environment either directly (primary MPs) or are generated through the fragmentation of macroplastics due to physical and chemical weathering processes (secondary MPs) . Currently, there are no standardized approaches to measure MPs, and monitoring MPs in freshwater can be challenging. , Complicating their identification in complex environmental matrices further, MPs in freshwater are often suspended with other particulate matter in the water column, surrounded by an ecocorona of biomacromolecules on their surface, or incorporated with biofilms on stream and river beds. , Given that MPs are a diverse suite of contaminants, the reliable identification and quantification of MPs necessitates advanced analytical methods and robust reference libraries.…”

Creation of an international laboratory network towards global microplastics monitoring harmonisation

“…The need for the use of harmonised protocols for the sampling, processing and reporting of microplastics in environmental data has been voiced by many studies over the past years 9 , 38 . Generally, individual processes for the extraction, isolation, identification and quantification of microplastics in environmental samples are already harmonised and are presented in Fig.…”

Freshwater Lacustrine Zooplankton and Microplastic: An Issue to Be Still Explored

“…Investigation of this kind will unravel the relevant concentrations and the polymer type, size distribution and particle features of common MPs in freshwater bodies, providing guidance for future exposure and effect tests in laboratory. A main hindrance in this process is the need for data and methods harmonization, which is unfortunately a known issue in MPs research [ 119 , 122 ].…”