Development of the first global standard for airborne microplastic monitoring

Project Description

Microplastics, of the size range 1 m to 2 mm, are ubiquitous in the environment, taken up by organisms, including humans, and accordingly are now categorised as a contaminant of emerging concern. It is well established that loess particles, charcoal and fungal spores are all trapped in monitoring pollen traps, so microplastics are highly likely to be there too. This pilot project will establish whether pollen monitoring stations can be used to monitor the levels and types of microplastics present in the atmosphere. The 12-month project will be comprised of a global fieldwork element conducted by collaboration of pollen-monitoring scientists anchored to analyses by a research technician in lab-based research. This novel approach will be anchored to established rainfall sampling techniques and as a round robin calibration exercise.
The overaching aim will be to produce a robust, standard operating procedure, for global monitoring MPs that provides levels (hourly for a week), size ranges and shape at sampling site, with scope to post samples for chemical analysis for polymer characterisation. The pilot will be coupled to a parallel, low cost, approach adapted from the current NERC-funded HOMEs project, using low-cost clip on microscopes and a machine vision tool to count the presence of particles and fibres. The clip on microscopes (costs about £8) with a UV light, can be trialled to differentiate fibre composition in an accessible way, negating the need for postal confirmatory testing. Finally, an AI approach is included to determine what can be achieved by machine vision, particularly in prediction of the particle composition. The pilot will therefore establish the suitability of pollen monitoring equipment and personnel in adding MP data, as levels, size ranges, shape, and polymer composition, to their valuable reporting activities.