Emerging Microplastics: Sources, Pathways and Analytical Challenges
The Plastic Network at UiB and collaborators NIVA and the Norwegian Society of Pharmacology and Toxicology will this fall organize the 5th microplastic symposium on November 20th.
Keynote speaker Professor Martin Wagner is a globally recognized environmental toxicologist at NTNU, whose research has helped shape the scientific understanding of plastics, plastic chemicals, and their impacts on human and environmental health. A leading voice in the global plastics debate, he has actively contributed scientific expertise to the development of the UN Global Plastics Treaty through engagement with international scientific initiatives supporting the negotiations, including the Scientists Coalition. His keynote will offer cutting-edge insights into the science of plastic pollution and the pathways toward a safer and more sustainable future.
Program
09.30-10.00: Meet and greet, coffee
10.00-10.10: Welcome/Opening remarks by UiB Rector Margareth Hagen
10.10-10.45: Keynote: From chemical complexity to safer plastics, Martin Wagner, Norwegian University of Science and Technology
10.45-11.10: Why is it so difficult to predict where plastic ends up in the ocean? Guttorm Alendal, University of Bergen
11.10-11.25: Break
11.25-11.50: Monitoring of marine litter in Norway; Methods from land to sea, from citizen science to professional monitoring - and what it tells us, Marte Haave, SALT
11.50-12.15: A fantastic plastic adventure in East Africa, Farhan Khan, NORCE
12.15-13.15: Lunch at VilVite
13.20-13.45: Microplastics deriving from boat paints, Jemmima Knight, NIVA
13.45-14.10: Beyond Green Energy: Understanding Plastic and Chemical Emissions from Offshore Wind Farms, Andy Booth, Sintef Ocean
14.10-14.35: Recreational Boat Wrecks as a Long-Term Source of Microplastic Boat paint – how do we measure the threat? Amy Lusher, NIVA
14.35-14.50: Break/Snack
14.50-15.05: Knowledge gaps on plastics and health- a proposal for a national research center on human health and plastics, Hubert Dirven, FHI
15.05-15.25: Are We Ready to Detect Micro- and Nanoplastics in Human Tissues? Damaris Daniel, University of Bergen
15.25-15.45: Recovery of small microplastic particles from cod tissue, Alice Refosco, University of Bergen
15.45: Wrap-up and networking
Keynote abstract
"In this presentation, I will share insights from a large-scale exercise to map the known chemicals in plastics that resulted in the creation of the PlastChem database and then move on to discuss approaches to characterize unknown plastic chemicals.
Reviewing the existing evidence that associates chemicals with plastics, I will discuss the identities, functions and presence of known plastic chemicals as well as the question how chemicals of concern in plastics can be identified and managed. I will also highlight information gaps and the associated challenges.
Since our work on PlastChem only addresses the known part of the issue, I will present results from our research to understand the chemical complexity of plastics holistically, including case studies on non-target high-resolution mass spectrometry to elucidate all plastic chemicals and effect-based approaches to understand the toxicity of plastic leachates.
I will wrap up the presentation by reflecting on pathways towards creating safer plastics, a key prerequisite for a sustainable plastics economy. I will also reflect on the role the scientific community can play in this transition".