A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society

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

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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
UK Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs: extensively cited in Marine Plastic Pollution Evidence Review
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
Government of Canada: cited in Draft science assessment of plastic pollution
NanoConsult: cited in Health effects of microplastics
European Commission's call for tender to investigate knowledge gaps identified by SAPEA report.
European Topic Centre on Waste and Materials in a Green Economy Plastic in textiles: potentials for circularity and reduced environmental and climate impacts

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The report is also being used in a seminar with students of environmental science at ETH Zurich and included in a syllabus of a Multidisciplinary Program on Sustainable Food and Biomass Systems of the Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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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)
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The Ecologist: Microplastics' threat to nature (23 January 2019)
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Chemical & Engineering News: The pervasiveness of microplastics (4 February 2019)
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The Fair Find: De problemen met plastic: hoe groot zijn ze en wat kunnen we eraan doen? (19 February 2019)
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University of Gothenburg: Plastics in the environment (28 February 2019)
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Microplastics in Danish marine waters

Evidence from our report was presented at this seminar hosted by the University of Aarhus in Denmark.

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.

Solutions to plastics in the ocean: the Baltic and beyond

We presented our report at this pan-Scandinavian symposium in Stockholm, organised by the Royal Swedish Academy of Science.

International conference on environmental psychology

Our report was featured in a poster at this behavioural science conference in the UK.

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.

SAPEA microplastics event in Finland

At an event in Helsinki, the SAPEA report will be a starting point for the discussion on risks of microplastics to human and the environment, the relationship between research, scientific data and legislation, and the presence of microplastics in Finnish waters.

The science of microplastics in the world ocean

The SAPEA report was presented at this international workshop to formulate next steps in understanding the fate, distribution, impacts, and technology development necessary to push the science.

Erasmus Maris days

Our report was presented and discussed at this academic conference in Spain.

acatech am Dienstag

The German national academy of technical sciences hosted a public outreach event about microplastics in Munich, where SAPEA's report was prominently featured.

Working group members

Bart Koelmans
Chair

Professor
University of Wageningen
Personal profile

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
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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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A scientific perspective on microplastics in nature and society

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.

What the report says

Debate and impact

Downloads

Links

Working group members