Toxics Webinar | Microplastics Distribution, Fate and Effects on the Environment
Part of the MDPI Toxics Webinars series
14 Jan 2021, 00:00
Toxicity, Environmental Monitoring, Microplastics, Plastic Contamination
Webinar Information
3rd Webinar of Toxics - an Open Access Journal
Microplastics Distribution, Fate and Effects on the Environment
Microplastics, defined as plastic particles >5 mm in diameter, include primary microplastics, produced in small size to be used in plastics production, cleaning, cosmetic or medical products, and secondary microplastics, resulting from the fragmentation of larger items in the environment. After a decade of intense research effort on this field, numerous studies have shown the widespread distribution of microplastics over the planet and their effects on the ecosystems. However, there is still a general lack of understanding on several aspects that need to be addressed, including the incorporation of microplastics and associated pollutants into food webs, the joint potential impact of microplastics with other stressors in the environment, the lack of standardized sampling methodologies needed to quantify the global abundance of microplastics, or the distribution and impact of the lowest particle sizes.
Date: 14 January 2021
Time: 15:30pm (CET) | 9:30 am (EDT) | 22:30 pm (CST Asia)
Chair: Prof. Dr. Juan Bellas
Webinar ID: 860 7927 9263
Prof. Dr. Juan Bellas |
Juan Bellas has a PhD in Marine Sciences, specializing in ecotoxicology and marine pollution. He is Professor of Research at the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO). His main research focuses on the study of the biological effects of pollutants (including microplastics) and the integrated assessment of marine pollution. He is the Chief Investigator of the Marine Pollution Program of the IEO, and he was Coordinator of the scientific activities for the implementation of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive in Spain from 2010 to 2018. He has participated in various international committees and working groups of the European Commission, groups of the OSPAR Commission and of the International Council for the Protection of the Sea (ICES). He is currently chairman of the ICES Working Group on Biological Effects of Contaminants (WGBEC). He is an advisor to the Ministry of Ecological Transition of Spain, and is a member of the UNESCO Chair in Sustainable Littoral Development (Campus do Mar). He has participated in several oceanographic cruises, including 3 cruises in Antarctica. He has participated in more than 30 projects and research contracts (leader in 10), and has published over 90 scientific papers (>60 in SCI journals) and several book chapters. He has been granted three patents, on the use of embryo-larval bioassays for the evaluation of the efficacy of antifouling compounds, on the cryopreservation of sea urchin embryos, and on a submergible mussel-caging device for marine pollution analysis. |
The following experts will present and speak:
Prof. Dr. Roberta Bettinetti |
|
Prof. Dr. José Manuel Andrade-Garda |
|
Prof. Dr. Ad M.J. Ragas |
|
Programme
The webinar will start at 15:30 pm (CET) and will last 2 hours.
Speaker & Presentation |
Time |
Introduction: Prof. Dr. Juan Bellas |
15:30 – 15:35 |
Prof. Dr. Roberta Bettinetti Microplastics in Freshwater Environments. |
15:35 – 16:05 |
Prof. Dr. José Manuel Andrade-Garda Some Hints to Measure Microplastics by Mid-IR Spectrometry. |
16:05 – 16:35 |
Prof. Dr. Ad M.J. Ragas Modelling Microplastics: From Sources to Effects. |
16:35 – 17:05 |
Q&A moderated by Prof. Dr. Juan Bellas (Chair) Attendees are welcome to type in their questions in the Zoom Q&A section. Discussion and concluding remarks |
17:05 – 17:30 |
Webinar Content
The third Toxics webinar, entitled “Microplastics Distribution, Fate and Effects on the Environment”, was held on Thursday 14 January 2020. This online seminar was chaired by Prof. Dr. Juan Bellas and discussed some of the current challenges in microplastic research.
Three experts presented their findings. Dr. Gilberto Binda from the University of Insubria started covering the topic of microplastics in freshwater environments. Prof. Dr. José Manuel Andrade-Garda from the University of A Coruña followed giving some hints to measure microplastics by Mid-IR spectrometry. Finally, Prof. Dr. Ad M.J. Ragas from Open University in Heerlen and Radboud University in Nijmegen spoke about microplastics modelling. A Q&A session was conducted at the end to answer any questions submitted by live online audience.
The webinar was offered via Zoom, and registration was required for attendance. The full recording can be found below.
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Relevant Special Issues
2021: Solid Waste: Assessment, Monitoring, and Management
Guest Editors: Prof. Dr. William Frederick Ritter
Accepting submissions until 30 April 2021
2021: Ecological and Human Health Risk Assessment of Micro- and Nanoplastics
Guest Editors: Dr. Thava Palanisami, Dr. Scott P. Wilson and Dr. Bhavani Narayanaswamy
Accepting submissions until 31 March 2021
2021: Fate and Effects of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Soil and Aquatic Ecosystems
Guest Editors: Dr. Andreu Rico and Prof. Dr. Roberto Rosal
2021: New and Novel Analytical Approaches to Measurement of Emerging Environmental Contaminants
Guest Editors: Dr. James Longstaffe
Accepting submissions until 31 January 2021
2020: Prevalence, Fate and Effects of Plastic in Freshwater Environments
Guest Editors: Dr. Farhan Khan
Closed