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HEDoctoral network2022–2026

PlasticUnderground · Integrated Cross-Sectoral Solutions to Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution in Soil and Groundwater Ecosystems

Horizon Europe — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions

Duration
2022-12-01 → 2026-11-30
EU contribution
€2,489,724
Participants
27
Scheme
HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-DN

Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.

Results in brief

Integrated Cross-Sectoral Solutions to Micro- and Nanoplastic Pollution in Soil and Groundwater Ecosystems

Recent evidence of increasing accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MnP) in soils and groundwater raises severe concerns by agricultural and water industries, food manufacturers, regulators, environmental interest groups and citizens. Private and public sectors require detailed understanding of environmental and public health risks posed by MnP in soils and groundwater. The PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network creates supra-disciplinary, inter-sectoral capacity for analyzing the fate, transport and impacts of MnP in soils and groundwater, to develop solutions for reducing their environmental and public health risks, and for supporting the EC’s circular plastic economy strategy. The central aim of the PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network is to deliver international scientific excellence through a holistic research and training network aimed at providing solutions to the emerging crisis of MnP pollution in subsurface ecosystems, by integrating knowledge across traditional discipline boundaries to benefit the public and private sectors. The supra-disciplinary research programme includes unique training opportunities for a cohort of 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs), plus one funded through ETHZ (CH) and three funded through UoB, RU and Polymateria (UK) in environmental and social sciences, ecotoxicology, soil science and aquatic ecology, analytical chemistry, agronomy, data science and numerical modelling as well as responsible innovation and standardization for use in regulatory decision making and risk assessment. The integrated training programme will prepare the DCs with skills that are urgently required in agricultural, water, chemical, and manufacturing industries, environmental and regulatory agencies, academia, and the public sector. The program also includes training provisions by key stakeholders that will directly benefit from the training within the Network.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union

Project objective

Recent evidence of increasing accumulation of micro- and nanoplastics (MnP) in soils and groundwater raise severe concerns by agricultural and water industries, food manufacturers, regulators, environmental interest groups and citizens. Private and public sectors require detailed understanding of environmental and public health risks posed by MnP in soils and groundwater. The PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network creates supra-disciplinary intersectoral capacity for analysing the fate, transport and impacts of MnP in soils and groundwater to develop solutions for reducing their environmental and public health risks, supporting the EC’s circular plastic economy strategy. The central aim of the PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network is to deliver international scientific excellence through a holistic supra-disciplinary and inter-sectoral research and training network on solutions to the emerging crisis of MnP pollution in subsurface ecosystems in soils and groundwater, integrating knowledge across traditional discipline boundaries to benefit the public and private sectors. The supra-disciplinary research programme includes unique training opportunities for a cohort of 10 Doctoral Candidates (DCs) (plus one individually funded through ETHZ [CH] and three funded through UoB, RU and Polymateria [UKRI] as Associated Partners) in environmental and social science, ecotoxicology, soil science and aquatic ecology, analytical chemistry, agronomy, data science and numerical modelling as well as responsible innovation, method standardization for use in regulatory decision making and risk assessment. The integrated training programme will prepare DCs with skill sets that are urgently required in agricultural, water, chemical, and manufacturing industries, environmental and regulatory agencies, academia, and the public sector and includes training provision by key stakeholders that will directly benefit from the training in this network.

Original text from CORDIS.

Participants

  • UNIVERSITE LYON 1 CLAUDE BERNARD · Villeurbanne CedexCoordinatorFrance
  • BASF SE · Ludwigshafen Am RheinGermany
  • CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TOXIC SUBSTANCES CONTROL · SacramentoUnited States
  • COMMUNE DE LYON · Lyon Cedex 01France
  • DALHOUSIE UNIVERSITY · HALIFAXCanada
  • EIDGENOESSISCHE TECHNISCHE HOCHSCHULE ZUERICH · ZuerichSwitzerland
  • ENVIRONMENT AGENCY · BristolUnited Kingdom
  • ETHNIKO KAI KAPODISTRIAKO PANEPISTIMIO ATHINON · ATHINAGreece
  • FREIE UNIVERSITAET BERLIN · BerlinGermany
  • FUNDACION GENERAL CSIC · MadridSpain
  • LUDWIG-MAXIMILIANS-UNIVERSITAET MUENCHEN · PlaneggGermany
  • NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY CORPORATION · EVANSTONUnited States
  • NOVAMECHANICS LIMITED · NicosiaCyprus
  • OVE ARUP & PARTNERS INTERNATIONAL LIMITED · LONDONUnited Kingdom
  • PLASTICS EUROPE AISBL · Bruxelles / BrusselBelgium
  • POLYMATERIA LIMITED · LondonUnited Kingdom
  • PRIRODNO MATEMATICKI FAKULTET · NisSerbia
  • ROEHAMPTON UNIVERSITY LBG · LondonUnited Kingdom
  • SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY · SHENZHENChina
  • THAMES WATER UTILITIES LIMITED · ReadingUnited Kingdom
  • THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS · UrbanaUnited States
  • THE UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM · BirminghamUnited Kingdom
  • The University of Iowa · Iowa CityUnited States
  • UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION · ParisFrance
  • UNIVERSIDAD DE LLEIDA · LleidaSpain
  • UNIVERSITA DI PISA · PisaItaly
  • VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · Nashville TenesseeUnited States

Links

Data: CORDIS, © European Union