Rezultati projekta MicroDrink | Hrvatski geološki institut

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Results of the MicroDrink project

After two and a half years of successful implementation, project MicroDrink – Capacity building for management and governance of MICROplastics in DRINKing water resources of the Danube Region, funded under the Interreg Danube Region Programme 2021 – 2027, officially ends in June 2026. Throughout the project, 11 project partners and 19 associated strategic partners from eight Danube Region countries worked together to apply a harmonised approach to monitoring microplastics in drinking water resources, strengthen institutional capacities, and produce practical tools and guidance for addressing this emerging environmental challenge.

As part of the project, a number of publicly available outputs have been developed to support researchers, water resource managers, decision-makers and other stakeholders:

Monograph of the MicroDrink project – an e-book summarising MicroDrink project activities, pilot locations, sampling and analysis methodology, results and key findings.
Output 1.1 – Microplastics approach harmonised at EU and non-EU level– a comprehensive document describing the harmonised methodology for sampling, laboratory analysis, and reporting implemented within the project and compliant with the Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2024/1441.
Output 3.2 – Decision-Making Support Tool (DMST) – a practical decision-support tool designed to help water utilities, public authorities, and other users assess and manage risks associated with microplastics in drinking water resources.
MicroDrink Knowledge Base – an open-access knowledge platform bringing together information on sampling and analytical methods, laboratories, equipment, legislation, and relevant projects related to microplastics in the aquatic environment.
Roadmap Towards a Microplastics in Drinking Water Strategy – strategic guidance supporting the development of future management approaches for microplastics in drinking water supply systems.
Transnational monitoring database – a database containing the results of four quarterly monitoring campaigns (sampling and analysis) of microplastics in drinking water conducted over one year at nine pilot sites across the Danube River Basin.
Video Guidelines for Microplastics Sampling in Drinking Water – an educational video demonstrating the harmonised sampling methodology for microplastics in drinking water, in accordance with Commission Delegated Decision (EU) 2024/1441, as applied at the project's pilot

All project outputs are available on the official project website: https://interreg-danube.eu/projects/microdrink.

The Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology of the Croatian Geological Survey would like to express its sincere gratitude to all project partners, associated strategic partners, stakeholders, and collaborators for their outstanding cooperation, expertise, and commitment throughout the implementation of the project. Although the project is coming to an end, the knowledge generated, partnerships established, and tools developed provide a strong foundation for future research and the continued advancement of microplastics management in drinking water resources across the Danube Region and beyond.