NEWS
Participation of project MicroDrink at Aquatic Plastic Microplastic Assessment Workshop
MicroDrink LP team members were recently invited to participate at Aquatic Plastic's microplastic assessment workshop, which took place in Vienna on June 17th and 18th.
The workshop provided an excellent opportunity not only to learn about the various methods of sampling and analyzing microplastics in different media, but also to connect with fellow microplastics researchers from across the Danube region. The two day event featured comprehensive overviews of potential techniques and instruments, a tour of the BOKU laboratories, and live demonstrations of several common methods on samples of biota, salt water and fresh water.
During the event, a meeting between lead partners of Interreg Danube Region Programme projects within priority area 2.3 was held. This meeting facilitated the exchange of ideas and the exploration of synergies among the projects. The projects' lead partners agreed to collaborate on joint thematic research, organize exchange visits and share findings among themselves, aiming to enhance knowledge dissemination and ensure a broad impact of project results during and beyond the projects' lifetimes. Both the workshop and the meeting were highly productive, paving the way for future collaborative efforts.
- Overview of microplastics sampling techniques for water samples
- Microplastic sample pre-treatment
- Microplastic particle isolation (mixed sample of plastics, chitin, layered silicate, plant material) – visual detection with microscope (left); Measurement of microplastics using FTIR-ATR spectrometer (right)
- Inside the BOKU water laboratory
- Demonstration of microplastics analysis using Bruker LUMOS II FTIR microscope
