PlasticsFatE has been funded by the EU to improve our understanding of the fate and effects of micro and nanoplastics (MNPs) and associated additives/contaminants (A/Cs) in the human body. We are approaching this in targeted ways:
· By developing reliable and validated methods for the characterisation, monitoring and testing of MNPs, to contribute to the development of new international standards.
· By developing new tools that will assist manufacturers and users of plastics products to assess potential hazards and exposures from MNPs, enabling more informed material and use choices.
· By working with policymakers and regulators to inform future EU strategies on MNPs
To align our work and results align with different stakeholders’ needs, PlasticsFatE invited key representatives from standardisation, regulation, and related initiatives to a full-day World Café at Dechema, Frankfurt, on November 29th. The purpose of the event was to address issues related to analytics, toxicology and design and labelling from their perspectives.
Our World Café provided a relaxed context in which discussion could flow freely from all perspectives. In rotated discussions [punctuated by a very loud gong], key points emerged related to sampling approaches, contamination, and detection; appropriate testing and technologies, traceability, and life cycle analyses. There was a consensus regarding the need for global drivers to lessen disparities; a requirement for negative results to be published to prevent work duplication; the benefits of low cost and high-throughput testing; and reducing the pressure to publish.
With the information gathered from this and subsequent planned events, PlasticsFatE will be able to inform key policymakers, strategists, regulators, and standardisation bodies about essential stakeholder requirements in these areas and help shape future EU policy.
We would like to thank everyone who took part from PlasticsEurope, PlasticTrace, PRIORITY (COST Action), the Max Rubner Institute, Flexible Packaging Europe, Eurofins Analytical Services, VCI, BASF SE, BioDetection Systems bv, Covestro, DIN e.V., NIVA, BAM, our sister project Imptox, and our own environment, standardisation, toxicology, and analytical partners.
If you would like to take part in our events and have your say from your perspective, please let us know by signing up here
If you would like to keep up to date with CUSP - our MNP Cluster - please register here: