F R A U N H O F E R I N S T I T U T E F O R E N V I R O N M E N TA L , S A F E T Y, A N D E N E R G Y T E C H N O L O G Y U M S I C H T
PLASTICBUDGET PROJECT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT OF MICROPLASTIC EMISSIONS Nils Thonemann*, Daniel Maga, Jürgen Bertling Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental, Safety, and Energy Technology UMSICHT, Osterfelder Strasse 3, 46047 Oberhausen, Germany Phone* +49 208 8598-1536, E-mail*
[email protected], www.umsicht.fraunhofer.de
ISSUE Shortly after the introduction of many types of plastics (e.g. PS, PET, PP) in the 30s, 40s and 50s, first traces of plastics in the environment have been detected. Packaging, pellets and parts of a kitchen sponge were found in the stomachs of seabirds; whales and seals were caught in polypropylene cords. Through weathering and fragmenting larger plastic objects (macroplastic) into smaller pieces (microplastics), plastic waste in the environment seems to be gradually disappearing. However, as recent research shows, microplastic is found in freshwater, on beaches and in open water, in the deep sea and in the Antarctic ice. It is taken up by organisms and passes on in the food chain. The long dismantling periods of several plastics will probably lead to accumulation of plastic waste in the environment. Although the number of publications on microplastics has risen in the last two decades, there are still many research gaps on sources, pathways, amounts, sinks, accumulation spaces, adsorption and absorption of pollutants as well as damaging effects on organisms and humans. OBJECTIVE(S) The project »PlasticBudget« is aiming to answer some of the above-mentioned research gaps. Taking into account the relevance that plastic litter has gained in recent years in the environmental discussion, the assessment of the environmental impact of those emissions is needed. Macro- or microplastics’ emissions can have an impact on ecotoxicity (for example, when birds or fish confuse plastic with food) and human toxicity (for example by eating food, which contains microplastics). The resulting environmental impacts could be, for example, the documented dying of marine organisms caused by microplastics, the danger of massive aggregation of tiny plastic particles in the food chain, or the negative aesthetic impact associated with plastic in the environment. Corresponding midpoint and endpoint indicators for LCA and associated characterization methods, as well as standardization to a reference value (e.g. by the production volume of the specific plastic type), are therefore developed in »PlastikBudget« and discussed in expert dialogues as well as workshops.
R E S U LT
Sources and quantities (preliminary estimate) based on Lassen et al. (2015), Sundt et al. (2014), Magnusson et al. (2016) and Essel et al. (2015)
Schematic proposal for a cause-effect chain for plastic emission on ecosystems and humans adapted from Jolliet and Fantke (2015) and Rosenbaum (2015)
L I T E R AT U R E Essel, Roland; Engel, Linda; Carus, Michael; Ahrens, Ralph Heinrich (2015): Sources of microplastics relevant to marine protection in Germany. Ed. Federal Environment Agency (UBA). Jolliet, Olivier; Fantke, Peter (2015): Human Toxicity. In: Michael Z. Hauschild und Mark A. J. Huijbregts (Ed.): Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Dordrecht: SPRINGER (LCA compendium, the complete world of life cycle assessment), 75–96. Lassen, Carsten; Hansen, Steffen Foss; Magnusson, Kerstin; Norén, Fredrik; Hartmann, Nanna Isabella Bloch; Jensen, Pernille Rehne et al. (2015): Microplastics - Occurence, effects and source of releases to the environment in Denmark. Hg. v. Ministry of Environment and Food of Denmark. Magnusson, Kerstin; Eliasson, Karin; Fråne, Anna; Haikonen, Kalle; Hultén, Johan; Olshammar, Mikael et al. (2016): Swedish sources and pathways for microplastics to the marine environment. A review of existing data. Hg. v. Swedish Environmental Protection Agency. Rosenbaum, Ralph K. (2015): Ecotoxicity. In: Michael Z. Hauschild und Mark A. J. Huijbregts (Ed.): Life Cycle Impact Assessment. Dordrecht: SPRINGER (LCA compendium, the complete world of life cycle assessment), 139–162. Sundt, Peter; Schulze, Per-Erik; Syversen, Frode (2014): Sources of microplastic-pollution to the marine environment. Hg. v. mepex.
