CIMA participates in the EPHEMARE project meeting

CIMA participates in the EPHEMARE project meeting - "Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics on marine ecosystems"realised at the University of Antwerp in Belgium from 19 to 21 February to discuss the results of the project. The EPHEMARE project is a multidisciplinary consortium of 14 institutions from 10 European countries and one of four projects approved by the European JPI Oceans program on the ecological effects of microplastics. The objective of this project is to explore the accumulation, distribution and effect of microplastics in marine organisms, evaluating the role of microplastics as a vector of persistent pollutants. Provide decision-makers as the scientific basis for the development and application of regulations on chemical components in plastic production as well as the most innovative risks for marine ecosystems and possibly for human health. CIMA through the team of Professor Maria João Bebianno has studied the acute toxic effects and the chronic effect of microplastics with different contaminants adsorbed on bivalve molluscs.The conclusions obtained so far based on the development of validated protocols for extraction and characterization of microplastics in marine organisms and data from extensive sampling campaigns indicate that microplastics are found throughout the ocean. In addition, the additives in the plastic and the contaminants adsorbed to them appear to be potentially more toxic than microplastics.