Queen’s University Belfast to assess damage caused by nano plastics and microplastics

Researchers from the constitute for global food security at Queen's Academy Belfast are finding ways to investigate the damage that nano plastics and microplastics can have on the man trunk. Queen'due south University Belfast, located in Belfast, Northern Ireland, had received a grant of about one 1000000 Euros last twelvemonth to fund a research project that will address plastic waste material.

The researchers are working every bit a role of an international consortium led by Aston University. Besides, they have been awarded over half a one thousand thousand pounds from the European Commission as a part of the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions.

There are estimated 5.25 trillion particles of plastic floating in the oceans. This is non but threatening the health of marine ecosystems and animals, but information technology is also posing threat to humans in many other ways.

Microplastics come from a range of everyday items through the breakdown of large plastic waste in bottles, shopping numberless and industrial waste. Apart from this, they also come in the form of microbeads, which are pocket-sized, manufactured plastic beads used in wellness and beauty products. Recent studies take found them in soil, tap water, bottled water, beer and air. This has led to a growing business organisation worldwide about the potential wellness risks they pose.

Professor Chris Elliott, co-leader of the project from the institute of global nutrient security at Queen's University Belfast said, "There has been a growing business organisation about the potential health risks microplastics pose to us, whether through ingesting the harmful leaner they option upwards when coming through wastewater plants, or the effect these nanoplastics could have when coming into contact with human being cells."

"The global production of plastic, that can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, is expected to triple past 2050 meaning the problem is simply prepare to increase. This illustrates the urgent need for more research into the impairment these plastic particles could be causing to us if we are to tackle possibly one of the planet's greatest threats to our existence," Professor Elliott added.

To address this increasingly serious problem, the European Commission is planning to issue a new drinking water legislation, to be published in 2019, which will ensure that water companies will demand to measure concentrations of microplastics from inside ii years for positive release and inspection.

Dr Cuong Cao, who co-leads the ongoing project, from the school of biological sciences at Queen's Academy Belfast said, "While in theory, we welcome this legislation, but in practical terms, there are huge fiscal and resource implications that could prevent its implementation. Highly skilled professionals will be required to operate the high-tech equipment and to run these tests successfully if we are to run across these standard measurements."

"With the number of plastics set to increase each year, coupled with the complexity involved to accomplish an EC standard, this research projection has come at a crucial time. It will enable the states to work in collaboration with the nearly skilled researchers across Europe to enhance their skills besides as developing new technologies to enable manufacture and businesses to adhere to the proposed legal requirements of nano and microplastics in food and drink," Dr Cao said.

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