Reference materials

In PLAWES, the modelling system of the German national park Weser-Wadden Sea is the first large European river basin that is investigated in detail regarding its microplastic pollution to.

The spread of microplastics in rivers shows that along a given waterway there are sources as well as sinks. Thus, dams and reservoirs constitute important but until now hardly investigated parts of a water system that serve as examples for risk vs. usefulness of sedimentation of microplastics.

This project systematically detects emissions of plastics into wastewater from relevant industries. Emissions levels will be analysed along all points of the value chain (production, transport, processing, and cleaning of synthetic materials).

The methods currently available for the analysis of microplastics in environmental matrices are primarily designed for particles in the size range of 1 μm to 5 mm. Smaller particles below 1 μm have hardly been detected so far. However in contrast to larger particles, these are able to enter cells and have a higher potential for adsorption of pollutants due to their relatively larger surface.

This project aims to develop representative investigation methods and strategies for an integrative system understanding of relevant plastic entry paths into the environmental compartment water.