Are microplastics harmful?
Whether or not microplastics have harmful effects on plants and animals has not yet been conclusively established. This infografic summarises the current state of research on the topic.
Environmental sustainability
Factsheet 7.2: Microplastics in the aquatic food web - Impact and transfer analysis based on the example of roundworms (nematodes)
"To assess the ecologic danger posed by microplastics, one must also consider indirect effects in the food web", say Sebastian Höss (Ecossa) and Marie-Theres Rauchschwalbe (Bielefeld University). The researchers from the joint project MikroPlaTaS looked at these effects using nematodes as an example.
Environmental problem: plastic packaging
Numerous one- to two-person households, an increase in mail-order business as well as the popular "to-go" culture are causing a steady rise in the consumption of plastic packaging in Germany. While approximately 1.8 million tons of plastic were produced per year in 2000, this figure had already risen to 3.1 million tons by 2016.
New Collaborative Research Centre on Microplastics
The University of Bayreuth, partner institution in the joint research project "PLAWES", receives 10 million euros to establish a new Collaborative Research Centre (CRC). Its purpose is to investigate the biological effects of microplastics in the environment, including its migration and formation.
