dc.contributor.editor | Gerdts, Gunnar | |
dc.coverage.spatial | European | en_US |
dc.date.accessioned | 2020-02-07T18:47:08Z | |
dc.date.available | 2020-02-07T18:47:08Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2019 | |
dc.identifier.citation | Gerdts, G. (ed.) (2019) Defining the BASElines and standards for Microplastics ANalyses in European waters. Project BASEMAN Final report. JPI-Oceans BASEMAN Project, 25pp. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.25607/OBP-722 | en_US |
dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/11329/1205 | |
dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.25607/OBP-722 | |
dc.description.abstract | Persistent plastic litter amasses. It fragments over time, both before entering and within the marine environment.
Together with micro-sized primary plastic litter from consumer products, this leads to an increasing amount of small
plastic particles, so called microplastics (MP). The ubiquitous presence and massive accumulation of MP in marine
habitats and the uptake of MP by at least 700 marine species biota is now well recognised by scientists and authorities
worldwide. However, the impact of plastic particles on aquatic ecosystems is far from understood. A fundamental issue
precluding assessment of the environmental risks arising from MP is the lack of standard operating procedures (SOP)
for MP sampling and analysis. Consequently, there is a lack of reliable data on concentrations of MP and the composition
of polymers within the marine environment. Comparability of data on MP concentrations is currently hampered by the
huge variety of different methods, each generating data of very different quality and resolution. Although MPs are
recognised as emerging contaminants in the environment, neither sampling, extraction, purification nor identification
or quantification approaches are currently standardised, making the increasing numbers of MP studies hardly -if at allcomparable.
The overall goal of the interdisciplinary and international collaborative research project BASEMAN was to overcome
these problems through a profound and detailed comparison and evaluation of all approaches from sampling to
identification of MP. The collaborative research project BASEMAN combined experienced MP scientists (from different
disciplines and countries) in a cutting edge project addressing the JPI Oceans pilot call “Ecological aspects of MP in the
marine environment”. BASEMAN was structured in 5 work packages (WPs): Defining baselines for all relevant
identification approaches (WP1), Preparation of standardized test samples for inter‐lab comparisons (WP2), Inter‐lab
and inter‐method comparisons (WP3), Sampling methodologies for MPs in the marine environment: Standardization,
suitability and intercomparison (WP4) and finally a coordination work package Coordination, Integration and Synthesis
(WP5).
In WP1 the strength and limitations of different analytical techniques with respect to MP identification, quantification
(numbers and masses) were successfully investigated covering different Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
techniques, Raman-microscopy, pyrolysis-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (py-GC/MS) and py-GC/MS with
Orbitrap. Multi-spectroscopic databases for FTIR and Raman microscopy were generated encompassing “pristine”
synthetic polymers, weathered synthetic polymers but also representative natural substances present in environmental
matrices. For evaluation of the generated data, dedicated software pipelines were developed. A MP reference kit was
produced and used for investigations on MP weathering and spiking of different samples in inter-lab comparison in WP2
and WP3. For inte-rlab comparisons, different sample matrices (plankton, sediment and biota) were spiked and provided
to the participating BASEMAN partners. Unfortunately, unforeseen problems related to milling, sieving, handling &
analyses (size distributions) of the polymer beads and the spiking procedure itself (transfer of the kit to the samples)
lead to extreme delays. The inter-lab comparison approach to quantitate the small particle fractions below 100 μm
particle size from the named matrices with methods of the current state of the art is considered as failed. However,
with considerable further method development (including strict QA/QC criteria), the task is considered feasible. Further,
in the scope of WP3 several purification methods were developed and/or optimized for the separation of microplastics
from sediments. These included newly developed small-scale sediment separators based on density separation.
Different purification methods were successfully investigated of which the use of alkaline digestion, enzymatic
digestion, wet oxidation (including Fenton’s reagent) were applied, evaluated and to some extent compared. To reduce
contamination risks and allow an easier handling a “purification reactor” was developed. In WP4, sampling
methodologies for MP in the marine environment were standardized, evaluated (suitability) and compared. For this
task, two joint cruises were conducted (Galway Bay, Ireland and Rias de Vigo, Spain). Both cruises intended to collect
environmental samples of benthic sediments and water samples from surface and water column. Samples collected in
both cruises were aimed to be processed under the same conditions by the different laboratories involved in order to
estimate the associated errors of microplastic counting and identification. Furthermore, marine biota species were
suggested that might serve as relevant and appropriate as biomonitoring species with respect to MP in Europe. Three
white papers finally were generated: i) Standardization protocols for monitoring microplastics in seawater; ii)Standardization protocols for monitoring microplastics in sediments; and iii) Harmonized protocol for monitoring
microplastics in biota (in collaboration with the JPI Oceans project EPHEMARE).
In general, BASEMAN provided EU authorities with tools and operational measures that can be applied to describe the
abundance and distribution of MP in the environment in existing (e.g. MSFD) or future monitoring requirements. | en_US |
dc.description.sponsorship | JPI Oceans | en_US |
dc.language.iso | en | en_US |
dc.publisher | JPI-Oceans BASEMAN Project | en_US |
dc.subject.other | Microplastics | en_US |
dc.subject.other | BASEMAN Project | en_US |
dc.subject.other | Plastic debris | |
dc.title | Defining the BASElines and standards for Microplastics ANalyses in European waters : Final report Project BASEMAN | en_US |
dc.type | Report | en_US |
dc.description.status | Published | en_US |
dc.format.pages | 25pp. | en_US |
dc.description.refereed | Refereed | en_US |
dc.subject.parameterDiscipline | Parameter Discipline::Environment::Anthropogenic contamination | en_US |
dc.description.currentstatus | Current | en_US |
dc.description.sdg | 14.1 | en_US |
dc.description.maturitylevel | TRL 8 Actual system completed and "mission qualified" through test and demonstration in an operational environment (ground or space) | en_US |
dc.description.bptype | Manual (incl. handbook, guide, cookbook etc) | en_US |
dc.description.bptype | Standard Operating Procedure | |
obps.contact.contactemail | gunnar.gerdts@awi.de | |
obps.contact.contactemail | Gunnar Gerdts | |
obps.resourceurl.publisher | http://jpi-oceans.eu/sites/jpi-oceans.eu/files/public/Microplastics/JPI%20Oceans%20Final%20Project%20Report%20-%20BASEMAN.pdf | |