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PLASTYX: Microplastics in groundwater ecosystems: a global impact analysis
Project lead: Professor Anne Robertson
The total quantity, spatial distribution, residence time scales and most importantly the impact of microplastics on groundwater ecosystems, and the vital services they provide to humans, are completely unknown. There is a vital need to investigate the role of groundwater as a long-term sink for plastic pollution, including their legacy risks and impacts on the largest freshwater ecosystems on earth.
Project vision
Plastyx pioneers the first global analysis of microplastics in groundwater ecosystems by:
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Mobilising our global network of collaborators to develop a global groundwater microplastic database
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Using innovative ecological theory, techniques and modelling to identify uptake pathways and impact of microplastics on groundwater ecosystems
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Integrating ecological and hydrological empirical data with particle flow and transport modelling to predict future microplastic loadings in groundwater to inform regulation and management
Research team
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Professor Anne Robertson (University of Roehampton)
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Professor Stefan Krause (University of Birmingham)
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Dr Julia Reiss (University of Roehampton)
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Dr Dan Perkins (University of Roehampton)
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Dr Uwe Schneidewind (University of Birmingham)
Work Package Information
Work Package 1: Microplastics in aquifers across the globe
Work Package 2: Microplastic uptake by groundwater food webs
Work Package 3: Effects of microplastics on groundwater food webs
Work Package 4: Global modelling to identify environmental relevance of microplastics in groundwater.
Funded by
The Leverhulme Trust
Home: Contact
Professor Anne Robertson
a.robertson@roehampton.ac.uk
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