Descrizione del progetto
Formazione per misurare il rischio per la salute delle microplastiche
La plastica è un materiale importante e onnipresente nella nostra economia e vita quotidiana. Preoccupazioni ambientali quali la dispersione della plastica rappresentano anche una minaccia significativa per il nostro benessere. Ridurre la quantità di rifiuti di plastica generati ogni anno rimane una grande sfida. Ogni anno vengono immesse nell’ambiente fino a 300 000 tonnellate di microplastiche. Il progetto MONPLAS, finanziato dall’UE, formerà ricercatori all’inizio della carriera per monitorare le concentrazioni di micro- e nano-plastiche nell’acqua per la loro presenza, assorbimento e minaccia alla vita animale e umana. Il progetto ha identificato la necessità di sviluppare tecnologie idonee che siano robuste, facili da usare e poco costose per l’esecuzione di misurazioni standardizzate, nonché la formazione di ingegneri per lo sviluppo e funzionamento dei metodi.
Obiettivo
Micro and nanoplastics have recently been found in our soil, tap water, bottled water, beer and even in the air we breathe, with a growing concern about the potential health risks they pose to us. Whether that is through ingesting the harmful bacteria they pick up when coming from wastewater plants, or just through injury and death of cells through contact, possibly through absorption of nanoplastics by cells, we really don’t know. Which is why there is an urgent need for more research on their toxicity and also why a new EC drinking water directive is to be published in 2019 stating that water companies will need to measure concentrations of microplastics from within two years for positive release and inspection. However, even though a standard measurement method will be published in 2019 for water, its necessary use of existing and expensive scientific laboratory equipment, such as microscopy and FTIR or Raman spectroscopy, will make it prohibitively expensive for in line use for many companies across Europe especially considering its need for highly trained personnel. There is therefore a need to develop suitable technologies for a robust, easy to use and low cost industrial instrument, whose measurements will correspond directly to the aforementioned standard, as well as train engineers for method development and operation. Given these multiple technical and analytical challenges, and that global production of plastic, that can take hundreds of years to biodegrade, is expected to triple by 2050; we propose a timely four year Initial Training Network to train multiple Early State Researchers throughout various scientific areas. Consisting of some of Europe's greatest experts in their fields it will provide tomorrows talent with the skills and knowledge to tackle possibly one of mankind's greatest threats to its existence whilst they jointly develop the technologies for the industrial instrument in collaboration with end-users and equipment manufacturers.
Campo scientifico
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processesdrinking water treatment processes
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringwater treatment processeswastewater treatment processes
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesmicrobiologybacteriology
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- natural sciencesphysical sciencesopticsspectroscopy
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Coordinatore
B4 7ET Birmingham
Regno Unito