Biodegradable Bioplastics - Assessing Environmental Risk (BIO- PLASTIC - RISK)
Lead Research Organisation:
Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Department Name: Plymouth Marine Lab
Abstract
Biodegradable bioplastics (BBPs) are a category of materials that offer considerable potential to reduce the global environmental challenge resulting from the accumulation of end-of-life plastic. BBPs are made from renewable carbon such as plant material (bioplastics) and as a consequence of their molecular structure and resulting properties are regarded to have enhanced rates of biodegradation compared to conventional plastics. Currently only around 1% of plastic production is in the form of bioplastics; driven by the potential advantages demand is growing rapidly.
BBPs are already widely used in applications with substantive pathways to the natural environment (agricultural mulch film, textile fibres, beads in cosmetics). Yet our understanding about their fate in the natural environment is poorly understood, because key information on the kinetics of degradation and any potential environmental effects of their breakdown products (fragments and chemical additives) is lacking. Biodegradation has been demonstrated under specific conditions, such as commercial compositing, and there are associated standards, but studies indicate degradation can be slow or incomplete under natural conditions.
This ambitious, yet highly tractable, 4-year research proposal brings together internationally recognised polymer scientists, marine and terrestrial biologists and ecotoxicologists from the Universities of Plymouth and Bath together with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Project Partner Lenzing AG and an Advisory Group including representatives from Government agencies, BBP producers, commercial users (Sainsbury's and Riverford Organic Farms), Water Authorities as well as NGOs. Collectively the team will establish the fate of BBPs in the environment, their effect on organisms and ecosystem function and develop environmental risk assessments.
We will characterise BBPs in terms of their composition (chemical structure, additives) as well as features that can be used to assess deterioration (molecular weight, thickness, strength) in the environment. We will then establish the fate of BBPs in marine and terrestrial environments in terms of rates of deterioration as well as the pathways and environmental accumulation of BBPs and their breakdown products. This will inform experiments to examine any associated direct effects of BBP deterioration on marine and terrestrial organisms (animals such as mussels and earthworms and plants such as herbs and grass) and to examine any indirect consequences on ecological and biogeochemical processes.
Collectively, these outcomes, together with existing literature, will be used to evaluate how the fate and behaviour of BBPs in the environment relates to hazards in order to conduct a risk assessment to show at what concentration BBPs and their associated chemicals may have an impact on animals, their habitats, and how the ecosystem functions. Estimates of safe levels in soil and water will be derived as well as factors that add uncertainty and indicate priorities for future research.
Outcomes in terms of potential risks, will be communicated alongside the benefits of BBPs - so as to provide a balanced perspective and help guide development for the next generation of BBPs. This will be disseminated by publications and stakeholder engagement, including: data sharing with OECD and Defra; a technical stakeholder workshop (industry, government, consultancy, NGOs. etc) and a training event - how to complete a risk assessment for plastics.
There has been considerable media attention on plastic pollution and this has translated into an urgent call for action by the public. However, current understanding of the most appropriate actions is less clear and reliable information on the benefits and risks of novel materials such as BBPs, is lacking. Hence, this research is of critical importance to guide changes in commercial practice and policy responses, such as implementation of the 25 year Environment Plan.
BBPs are already widely used in applications with substantive pathways to the natural environment (agricultural mulch film, textile fibres, beads in cosmetics). Yet our understanding about their fate in the natural environment is poorly understood, because key information on the kinetics of degradation and any potential environmental effects of their breakdown products (fragments and chemical additives) is lacking. Biodegradation has been demonstrated under specific conditions, such as commercial compositing, and there are associated standards, but studies indicate degradation can be slow or incomplete under natural conditions.
This ambitious, yet highly tractable, 4-year research proposal brings together internationally recognised polymer scientists, marine and terrestrial biologists and ecotoxicologists from the Universities of Plymouth and Bath together with Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Project Partner Lenzing AG and an Advisory Group including representatives from Government agencies, BBP producers, commercial users (Sainsbury's and Riverford Organic Farms), Water Authorities as well as NGOs. Collectively the team will establish the fate of BBPs in the environment, their effect on organisms and ecosystem function and develop environmental risk assessments.
We will characterise BBPs in terms of their composition (chemical structure, additives) as well as features that can be used to assess deterioration (molecular weight, thickness, strength) in the environment. We will then establish the fate of BBPs in marine and terrestrial environments in terms of rates of deterioration as well as the pathways and environmental accumulation of BBPs and their breakdown products. This will inform experiments to examine any associated direct effects of BBP deterioration on marine and terrestrial organisms (animals such as mussels and earthworms and plants such as herbs and grass) and to examine any indirect consequences on ecological and biogeochemical processes.
Collectively, these outcomes, together with existing literature, will be used to evaluate how the fate and behaviour of BBPs in the environment relates to hazards in order to conduct a risk assessment to show at what concentration BBPs and their associated chemicals may have an impact on animals, their habitats, and how the ecosystem functions. Estimates of safe levels in soil and water will be derived as well as factors that add uncertainty and indicate priorities for future research.
Outcomes in terms of potential risks, will be communicated alongside the benefits of BBPs - so as to provide a balanced perspective and help guide development for the next generation of BBPs. This will be disseminated by publications and stakeholder engagement, including: data sharing with OECD and Defra; a technical stakeholder workshop (industry, government, consultancy, NGOs. etc) and a training event - how to complete a risk assessment for plastics.
There has been considerable media attention on plastic pollution and this has translated into an urgent call for action by the public. However, current understanding of the most appropriate actions is less clear and reliable information on the benefits and risks of novel materials such as BBPs, is lacking. Hence, this research is of critical importance to guide changes in commercial practice and policy responses, such as implementation of the 25 year Environment Plan.
Publications
Thornton Hampton L
(2022)
Research recommendations to better understand the potential health impacts of microplastics to humans and aquatic ecosystems
in Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Stevenson EM
(2024)
Selection for antimicrobial resistance in the plastisphere.
in The Science of the total environment
Description | UK dialogues on the Global Plastics Treaty |
Geographic Reach | Multiple continents/international |
Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
Description | Butt Out: A transdisciplinary approach in understanding and addressing the risks of littered cigarette butts |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2741980 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2022 |
End | 05/2026 |
Description | Butt Out: A transdisciplinary approach to understanding and addressing the risk of littered cigarette butts (PhD) |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Organisation | United Kingdom Research and Innovation |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2022 |
Description | Charity Donation |
Amount | $5,000 (USD) |
Organisation | Microsoft Research |
Sector | Private |
Country | Global |
Start | 03/2023 |
End | 07/2024 |
Description | Developing ecological solutions to plastic pollution |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2570152 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 02/2022 |
End | 07/2025 |
Description | Does microplastic pollution pose a risk to marine life and food security? |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2086651 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 10/2018 |
End | 07/2022 |
Description | From road to sea: Exploring the biological effects of tyre particles in marine invertebrates. (Ref:4293) |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2698635 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2022 |
End | 03/2026 |
Description | Polymers from sugars: development of emerging sustainable plastics and investigation of their impact on the marine environment |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2749401 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2022 |
End | 03/2026 |
Description | Revealing the hidden identity and toxicity of priority chemical pollutants released during microplastic degradation and additive leaching in marine... |
Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
Funding ID | 2772605 |
Organisation | Natural Environment Research Council |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 01/2023 |
End | 08/2026 |
Description | Volvo Environment Prize 2022 |
Amount | 1,500,000 kr (SEK) |
Organisation | Volvo Environment Prize |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
Country | Sweden |
Start | 12/2022 |
End | 12/2024 |
Title | Standardised toxicity test with calanoid copepod |
Description | Development and optimisation of a standardised, partial life-cycle toxicity test for microplastics and other anthropogenic particles using a calanoid copepod (Acartia tonsa) model |
Type Of Material | Physiological assessment or outcome measure |
Year Produced | 2022 |
Provided To Others? | No |
Impact | Currently in optimisation stage. Anticipated that method will be widely used in our lab as a standard test with scope to publish and be used as a global standard. |
Description | ASH Wales |
Organisation | Action on Smoking and Health (ASH) |
Department | Action on Smoking and Health (Wales ASH) |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Knowledge exchange |
Collaborator Contribution | Knowledge exchange |
Impact | PhD (Collaborative partner) |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | Marine Conservation Society |
Organisation | Marine Conservation Society |
Country | United Kingdom |
Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
PI Contribution | Working together to explore the ramifications of cigarette butt litter on estuarine and coastal ecosystems. |
Collaborator Contribution | Access to data and insight into the littering behaviour of public |
Impact | PhD (SuMMeR CDT) |
Start Year | 2022 |
Description | 7IMDC Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Presented work on microplastic ecotox and chaired sessions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Article in Fast Company |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Article entitled "Mussels can be a natural filter to remove microplastics from the ocean" |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | http://fastcompany.com |
Description | Article in Marine Industry News |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Article in marine industry news 26th July |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://marineindustrynews.co.uk/is-mussel-poo-the-answer-to-microplastics/ |
Description | Cafe Scientifique |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Gave a talk entitled "Microplastics in our marine environment: Prevalence, problems and solutions" at the Cafe Scientifique, Launceston. Was well attended with approximately 50+ people. Many interesting questions and discussion afterwards with a broad range of audience. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Challenger Conference |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Presented work on microplastics ecotox studies and co-chaired |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Expert Panel on Microplastics (SCCWRP) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | Worked with international experts in the field of microplastics research, coordinate by SCCWRP. Was designed to help inform Californian legal limits of thresholds on microplastics in drinking water and into coastal environments. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021,2022 |
Description | Filming for BBC Spotlight |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Filming with Spotlight - discussion on problems and solutions of microplastics in our seas |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Gave lecture to MSc post-graduate students at University of Plymouth |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Along with colleagues, gave a lecture to MSc postgraduate students at the University of Plymouth entitled, Transport and fate of microplastics in the marine environment; A biological perspective. Students were engaged and asked lots of questions |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Interview for The Times |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
Results and Impact | Interview and subsequent article in The Times |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Live Radio Interview |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Live Interview on BBC Radio Cornwall 09/07/21 discussing problems and solutions for microplastic pollution in the marine environment |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
Description | Live classroom sessions on microplastics in the Arctic - Arctic Live |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | I was interviewed by Arctic Live which was broadcast live into classrooms around the world. I gave two live classroom sessions about microplastics in the Arctic (1; GCSE 14-16 yrs, 2; A-level 16-18 yrs). These were well received and the Arctic Live event overall reached 32,500 students in 306 schools across 15 countries. I was asked questions by school students and received thank you notes from several classes to say how much they had learnt and what they would do in future to help reduce plastic in the Arctic. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
URL | https://encounteredu.com/live-lessons/axa-arctic-live-2021 |
Description | Media interview (Global Landscapes Forum) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interview on wider microplastics research with which I am involved, spanning various projects. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Microplastics Workshop (Falmouth) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Regional |
Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
Results and Impact | Discussing how we can work towards a circular economy |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | Microplastics Workshop (Human and Ecological Health Effects of Microplastics in Water Symposium) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
Results and Impact | I presented research as part of Human and Ecological Health Effects of Microplastics in Water Symposium. Symposium was held remotely with international speakers from the microplastics community and open to public and stakeholders. |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
Description | Podcast |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Ocean podcast with EuroNews called 'Is it possible to end ocean plastic pollution? Went live in Oct. 2022. Recorded with Jeremy Wilks and Francois Gilgani |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
URL | https://www.euronews.com/green/2022/10/13/ocean-calls-podcast-is-it-possible-to-end-ocean-plastics-p... |
Description | Radio 4's Today Program |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | National |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Interviewed on Radio 4's Today Program in response to V&A's new art exhibition; "Plastic: Remaking Our World will chart the changing fortunes of a material with a more than 170-year history, encouraging visitors to think afresh about the promise and challenges of this extraordinary material." |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | School Visit (South Brent Primary) |
Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | Local |
Primary Audience | Schools |
Results and Impact | School visit with activity on plastic and plankton |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
Description | Socio-oceanography workshop |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
Results and Impact | Discussing plastics in the context of One Health and Socio-oceanography |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
Description | • Article by Springwise Intelligence |
Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
Geographic Reach | International |
Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
Results and Impact | Article by Springwise Intelligence. Springwise.com is a digital journal, based in Somerset House, dedicated to discovering innovations that matter since 2002. They receive over 120,000 page views every month and have a social media audience of over 300,000. They recently dedicated an article to our project using mussels to filter the water for microplastics |
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |