A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society

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Working group members

Bart Koelmans
Chair

Professor
University of Wageningen
Personal profile
Declaration of interests

Sabine Pahl
Vice-Chair

Associate Professor
University of Plymouth
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Thomas Backhaus

Professor
University of Gothenburg
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Filipa Bessa

Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Coimbra
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Geert van Calster

Professor
KU Leuven
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Nadja Contzen

Postdoctoral Researcher
University of Groningen
Personal profile

Richard Cronin

Water and Marine Advisory Unit, Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government, Ireland
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Tamara Galloway

Professor
University of Exeter
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Andy Hart

Visiting Professor
Newcastle University

Lesley Henderson

Senior Lecturer
Brunel University
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Gabriela Kalčíková

Assistant Professor
University of Ljubljana
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Frank Kelly

Professor
King’s College London
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Bartłomiej Kołodziejczyk

Research Fellow
Stockholm University
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Elda Marku

Professor
University of Tirana
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Wouter Poortinga

Professor
Cardiff University
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Matthias Rillig

Professor
Freie University Berlin
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Erik Van Sebille

Associate Professor
Utrecht University
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Linda Steg

Professor
University of Groningen
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Josef Steidl

Professor Emeritus
Czech Technical University Prague
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Julia Steinhorst

Research Associate
Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies
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Kristian Syberg

Associate Professor
Roskilde University
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Richard Thompson

Professor
University of Plymouth
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Martin Wagner

Associate Professor
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
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Annemarie van Wezel

Professor
KWR Watercycle Research Institute; Utrecht University
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Stephanie Wright

Research Associate
King’s College London
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Kayleigh Wyles

Lecturer
University of Surrey
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The best available evidence suggests that microplastics and nanoplastics do not pose a widespread risk to humans or the environment, except in small pockets. But that evidence is limited, and the situation could change if pollution continues at the current rate.

This is the verdict of SAPEA’s Evidence Review Report on micro- and nanoplastic pollution, published in January 2019. The report is written by a group of world-leading experts nominated by academies across Europe, and informs Scientific Opinion 6 from the European Commission’s Group of Chief Scientific Advisors.

What the report says

The report comprehensively examines the best available evidence from the natural sciences and computer modelling, as well as social, political and behavioural sciences. Its key conclusions are:

Microplastics — tiny particles under 5mm in length — are already present across air, soil and sediment, freshwaters, seas and oceans, plants and animals, and in several components of the human diet.
These particles come from a variety of sources, including plastic products, textiles, fisheries, agriculture, industry and general waste.
In controlled experiments, high concentrations of these particles have been shown to cause physical harm to the environment and living creatures, including inducing inflammation and stress.
However, the concentration levels measured in many real-world locations are well below this threshold — though there are also limitations in the measurement methods currently available.
Meanwhile, in other parts of the environment, there is no reliable evidence about the levels or effects of these particles. This is true especially of nanoplastics, which are very difficult to measure and evaluate.

Read the conclusions Read the full report

Debate and impact

Policy impactAcademic impactMedia coverageEvents

World Health Organisation: strong influence on “Microplastics in drinking-water“
G7: discussed by G7 science advisors at roundtable meeting in Washington DC
European Chemicals Agency: multiple citations in proposal for restriction on intentionally-added microplastics
European Commission: cited in A circular economy for plastics.
European Marine Board: cited in Marine Science for a Sustainable Future
SETAC: the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry drew on our report to make their own policy brief on plastics
Netherlands Ministry of Health, Welfare & Sport: cited in government study of microplastics in clothing
UK Department for Environment Food & Rural Affairs: positive feedback

Ašmonaitė, G. (2019). Microplastics in the aquatic environment: Insights into biological fate and effects in fish. Unpublished PhD thesis, University of Gothenburg.
Baptist, M.J.; Brasseur, S.M.J.M; Foekema, E.M.; van Franeker, J.A.; Kühn, S.; Leopold, M.F. (2019). Mogelijke ecologische gevolgen containerramp MSC Zoe voor Waddenzee en Noordzee: een quickscan. Wageningen University & Research rapport C029/19.
Bosker, T.; Bouwman, L.J.; Brun, N.R.; Behrens, P.; Vijver, M.G. (2019). Microplastics accumulate on pores in seed capsule and delay germination and root growth of the terrestrial vascular plant Lepidium sativum. Chemosphere 226:774–781.
Bosker, T.; Olthof, G.; Vijver, M.G.; Baas, J.; Barmentlo, H. (2019). Significant decline of Daphnia magna population biomass due to microplastic exposure Environmental Pollution 250:669–675.
Depledge, M.H.; White, M.P.; Maycock, B.; Fleming, L.E. (2019). Time and tide. British Medical Journal 366:l4671.
Garcia-Regueiro, J.A. (2019). Microplásticos en el medio ambiente y su impacto en la cadena trófica. Unpublished thesis, Universitat Oberta de Catalunya.
Gibb, B.C. (2019). Plastics are forever. Nature Chemistry 11:394–395.
Gopinath, P.M.; Saranya, V.; Vijayakumar, S.; Meera, M.M.; Ruprekha, S.; Kunal, R.; Pranay, A,; Thomas, J.; Mukherjee, A.; Chandrasekaran, N. (2019). Assessment on interactive prospectives of nanoplastics with plasma proteins and the toxicological impacts of virgin, coronated and environmentally released-nanoplastics. Nature Scientific Reports 8860.
Gouin, T.; Becker, R.A.; Collot, A.; Davis, J.W.; Howard, B.; Inawaka, K.; Lampi, M.; Ramon, B.S.; Shi, J.; Hopp, P.W. (2019). Toward the development and application of an environmental risk assessment framework for microplastic. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.
Henseler, M.; Elke, B.; Kreins, P. (2019). Microplastics in agricultural soils: a new challenge not only for agro-environmental policy? Research in Agricultural and Applied Economics.
Jaikumar, G.; Brun, N.R.; Vijver, M.G.; Bosker, T. (2019). Reproductive toxicity of primary and secondary microplastics to three cladocerans during chronic exposure. Environmental Pollution 249:638–646.
Koelmans, A. (2019). Proxies for nanoplastic. Nature Nanotechnology 14:307–308.
Koelmans, A.; Nor, M.; Hermsen, E.; Kooi, M.; Mintenig, S.; De France, J. (2019). Microplastics in freshwaters and drinking water: Critical review and assessment of data quality. Water Research 155:410–422.
Kooi, M.; Koelmans, A. (2019). Simplifying microplastic via continuous probability distributions for size, shape and density. Environmental Science & Technology Letters.
Martins, I.; Bessa, F.; Gonçalves, A.M.M.; Gago, J.; Libralato, S. (2019). MODELPlastics workshop — modelling ocean plastic litter in a changing climate: gaps and future directions. Marine Pollution Bulletin 146:22–25.
Rao, B.M. (2019). Microplastics in the aquatic environment: implications for post-harvest fish quality Indian Journal of Fisheries 66(1):142–152.
Rhodes, C.J. (2019). Solving the plastic problem: From cradle to grave, to reincarnation. Science Progress.
Rougthvedt, L.K. (2019). Forekomst av mikroplast fra veimerking i veinære innsjøer. Unpublished Masters thesis, Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge.
Strand, J.; Lundsteen, S.; Murphy, F. (2019). Microplastic-like particles in seabed sediments from inner Danish waters 2015. Danish Centre for Environment and Energy, Aarhus University, scientific report 320.
Verburg, C.; van Everdingen, J.; van Donk, E.; Poolen, D.; Buiter, R. (2019). Plastic: van zegen tot vloek. Den Haag: Stichting Biowetenschappen en Maatschappij.

ETH Zurich

Politico Europe: Microplastics not always a risk (10 January 2019)
NRC: Kleine plasticdeeltjes zullen in de toekomst veel milieuschade aanrichten (10 January 2019)
Naturwissenschaften Schweiz: A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society (January 2019)
ALLEA: SAPEA report: Evidence on microplastics does not yet point to widespread risk (10 January 2019)
Scheldeschorren: A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society (10 January 2019)
Wageningen University: Vijf vragen over de impact van de containerramp met de MSC Zoë (11 January 2019)
Suomen Tiedeakatemiat: Mikromuovien aiheuttamat riskit ympäristölle ja ihmisille ovat toistaiseksi paikallisia (11 January 2019)
niewus.nl: Universiteit Wageningen beantwoordt 5 vragen impact containerramp MSC Zoë (11 January 2019)
Koninklijke Nederlandse Akademie van Wetenschappen: Evidence on microplastics does not yet point to widespread risk, say Europe’s top scientists (11 January 2019)
Market Advisory Council: Evidence on microplastics does not yet point to widespread risk, say Europe’s top scientists (11 January 2019)
Vrije Universiteit Brussel: Jean Monnet Chair Harri Kalimo ‘advising the advisors’ on Microplastics (undated, January 2019)
Afval Online: Gezondheidsrisico van microplastics is nu beperkt (14 January 2019)
Food Packaging Forum: Report on risk of microplastics (15 January 2019)
Academia Europaea: Handover of new SAPEA report to the Group of Chief Scientific Advisors (15 January 2019)
University of Ljubljana: Objavljeno poročilo o znanstvenem pogledu na mikroplastiko v naravi in družbi (16 January 2019)
FoodHolland Nieuws: Vooralsnog nog geen grote risico’s microplastics voor mensen en omgeving (16 January 2019)
Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige: Liten risk med mikroplaster idag (17 January 2019)
Brunel University: Europe’s plastics damage will show in a century, research warns (17 January 2019)
Czech Academy of Sciences: Přítomnost mikroplastů v prostředí nepředstavuje pro člověka akutní hrozbu (17 January 2019)
Global Young Academy: GYA member contributes to evidence review on microplastics (17 January 2019)
One World: Klein, kleiner, kleinst: plastic deeltjes in het milieu (18 January 2019)
Aktuell Hallbarhet: Forskare: Mikroplaster inte något hot i dag (18 January 2019)
NRC Wetenschap supplement: Een zee van onzichtbaar plastic (19-20 January 2019)
Parlamentní Listy: Akademie věd: Přítomnost mikroplastů v prostředí nepředstavuje pro člověka akutní hrozbu (21 January 2019)
Czech Academy of Sciences: Presence of microplastics in the environment does not pose an imminent threat (21 January 2019)
Irish Academy of Engineering: New report: evidence on microplastics says no widespread risk yet (21 January 2019)
ChemicalWatch: ‘Widespread’ risk if microplastics are not restricted – EU science group (22 January 2019)
21stoleti.cz: Mikroplasty prozatím nepředstavují akutní hrozbu pro člověka (22 January 2019)
Hrvatska Akademija Znanosti i Umjetnosti: SAPEA objavila izvješće pod nazivom “A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society” (22 January 2019)
Bulgarian Academy of Sciences: Данните относно микропластмасите все още не сочат широко разпространен риск, твърдят водещи европейски учени (22 January 2019)
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Art: SAPEA objavila izvješće pod nazivom A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society (22 January 2019)
The Ecologist: Microplastics’ threat to nature (23 January 2019)
Nature Today: Microplastics vormen nog geen grote risico’s, volgens Europese topwetenschappers (27 January 2019)
Friesch Dagblad: Opinie: Microplastics nog geen groot risico maar wel een probleem (29 January 2019)
Drimble: Wetenschappelijke gegevens over microplastics wijzen nog niet op grootschalige risico’s (29 January 2019)
NRC: Plastic bestrijden is makkelijker dan een vliegreis weigeren (31 January 2019)
The Fair Find: Plastic zit in ons voedsel en drinkwater, maar effecten op gezondheid nog onduidelijk (2 February 2019)
Claudia Crivelli Barella blog: Interrogazione – Micro e nanoplastiche nell’acqua del rubinetto? (3 February 2019)
Chemical & Engineering News: The pervasiveness of microplastics (4 February 2019)
Novaator: Nina Hobbhahn: teadlasi kuulatakse, kui nad omavahel koostööd teevad (4 February 2019)
Human Biomonitoring for Europe: [LinkedIn post] (7 February 2019)
ChemicalWatch: Echa definition of microplastics ‘too broad’ – Cefic (7 February 2019)
Envi Web: AV ČR: Přítomnost mikroplastů v prostředí nepředstavuje pro člověka akutní hrozbu (10 February 2019)
Envi Web: Vedecká perspektíva mikroplastov v prírode a spoločnosti (11 February 2019)
Prumyslova Ecologie: Přítomnost mikroplastů v prostředí nepředstavuje pro člověka akutní hrozbu (18 February 2019)
Envi Web: Přítomnost mikroplastů v prostředí nepředstavuje pro člověka akutní hrozbu (18 February 2019)
Kosmetik- och hygienföretagen: Forskare menar att mikroplaster idag inte är något hot (18 February 2019)
The Fair Find: De problemen met plastic: hoe groot zijn ze en wat kunnen we eraan doen? (19 February 2019)
University of Gothenburg: Microplastics in the environment: a micro-issue, or reason for concern? (19 February 2019)
Gothenburg Centre for Sustainable Development: Microplastics in the environment: a micro-issue, or reason for concern? (19 February 2019)
havet.nu: Mikroplaster i samhället och miljön – ett vetenskapligt perspektiv (19 February 2019)
Government of Canada: G7 scientific advice cooperation on microplastics pollution roundtable (19 February 2019)
Leibniz Centre for Tropical Marine Research: High-level meeting in Washington: ZMT joins G7 advisory roundtable on microplastics pollution (20 February 2019)
University of Gothenburg: Plastics in the environment (28 February 2019)
PopFlock Radio: Microplastics (no date)
Hungarian Academy of Engineering: SAPEA jelentés (no date)
University of Plymouth: University scientists contribute to international report on microplastic risk (12 March 2019)
One World: Wij leven in een micro-plasticsoep, is dat erg? (12 March 2019)
EuroScientist: Ecology of the Gulf of Finland and the Neva Bay: Plastic pollution of the marine environment (14 March 2019)
British Sociological Association: Sociological perspectives on plastic pollution (March 2019)
ZME Science: Microplastics can also travel by wind, new study shows (15 April 2019)
Horizon Magazine: We still don’t know enough about the dangers of microplastics (2 May 2019)
Politico Europe: The plastic in our bodies (5 May 2019)
Chemical Watch: Chief scientists back broader EU policy to tackle microplastics pollution (8 May 2019)
Sydney Now Magazine: The plastic in our bodies (8 May 2019)
This is Plastics: Microplastics: What Do We Know About Them? (15 May 2019)
Mare Centre: All the microplastics that, in a certain way, remind us marine animals (21 May 2019)
SeafoodSource: Asia top opportunity, plastic pollution biggest threat to UK shellfish sector (12 June 2019)
Thomas Backhaus: Our Chemicalized World, episode 4: Microplastics in the environment II (16 June 2019)
Footprint: Plastic inaction may pose real risk to human health (21 July 2019)
Health Unveiled with Dr. Dan: Microplastics—A Lurking Danger No One is Talking About (1 August 2019)
ZME Science: Microplastics are now snowing over the Arctic (16 August 2019)
Bilten: Mora zasićena plastikom (19 August 2019)
Mreža za izgradnju mira: Mora zasićena plastikom (23 August 2019)
Dagens Nyheter: Mikroplast i dricksvatten ingen hälsofara (2 September 2019)

Science meets Parliaments 2019

Science meets Parliaments 2019 brought together decision-makers and researchers for a two-day event at the European Parliament in Brussels to discuss the role of science in 21st century policy-making and how to gear it towards solutions to the challenges of our time.

G7 meeting

Science advisors from the G7 countries, convened by the European Commission and the Chief Science Advisor of Canada, met in Washington DC to discuss the SAPEA report and future cooperation in advising world governments on microplastics.

European Commission expert workshop

The SAM Unit of the European Commission assembled a range of experts to discuss the SAPEA report and provide input into the forthcoming Scientific Opinion of the GCSA.

ALLEA General Assembly

The ALLEA General Assembly convenes Academies of Sciences and Humanities from 40 countries across the Council of Europe region. SAPEA used the impact of the microplastics report as a springboard to discuss the interaction of science and society.

European Maritime Day

The European Maritime Day is the annual EU meeting point on maritime affairs and blue growth. It targets maritime professionals, entrepreneurs and ocean leaders from businesses, governments, public institutions, NGOs and academia. Our microplastics report was exhibited as part of this conference.

EurOCEAN 2019

EurOCEAN is a high-level science-policy conference co-organised by European Marine Board, the European Commission and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO.

GESAMP workshop

GESAMP is the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Protection. The SAPEA report on microplastics was the subject of the keynote address at a GESAMP expert workshop.

SETAC Europe

The Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry is a global professional society established which provides a forum for individuals and institutions engaged in education, research and development, ecological risk assessment and life-cycle assessment, chemical manufacture and distribution, management and regulation of natural resources, and the study, analysis, and solution of environmental problems. We presented our report on stage in 2019.

UN World Oceans Day

In 2008, the United Nations General Assembly decided that, as of 2009, 8 June would be designated by the United Nations as World Oceans Day. A large number of events are organised around the world on this date. In 2019, we discussed microplastics with the public at a city science fair in Sopot, Poland, and ran a custom-made escape room game to communicate key microplastics messages.

Albanian forum on microplastics

The Albanian Academy of Sciences co-organised an event on SAPEA’s microplastics report on 11 June 2019 in Tirana.

International Science Council

Our report was used as an illustration of best practice in reaching the 2030 UN sustainable development goals by the International Science Council at their meeting in September.

A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society in Slovenia

Our report will be presented by two working group members: Dr Gabriela Kalcikova and Professor Wouter Poortinga. The meeting will be open to a diverse audience from academia and universities, to Slovenian policymakers, NGOs and the private sector.