University of Plymouth awarded £2.6 million to lead new environmental project
It will assess the impact biodegradable plastics have on the environment
Local scientists have been awarded £2.6 million to examine the environmental impacts of biodegradable plastics.
The University of Plymouth is leading a new four-year project alongside other researchers across the UK.
Until now, there has been very little research examining the precise fate of biodegradable materials and their impact in the open environment.
To address this, scientists will soon start assessing how these materials break down and, in turn, whether the plastics or their breakdown products affect species both on land and in the marine environment.
BIO-PLASTIC-RISK is being supported by a grant from the Natural Environment Research Council, part of UK Research and Innovation.
It is being led by researchers at the University of Plymouth, including its world-renowned International Marine Litter Research Unit, working alongside colleagues at the University of Bath and Plymouth Marine Laboratory.
The project brings together a team of marine and terrestrial biologists, material and polymer scientists, and ecotoxicologists, and will expand on extensive previous research by the partners into the causes and effects of microplastic pollution.