International Web Conference - Microplastics in Soils

Workshop background 

As part of the project "Microplastics in Soils - Detection, Elimination, Immobilization and Effects", the workshop "International Conference on Microplastics in Soils" was launched with the aim of providing information on current research projects, research and research results from various institutions.

Specifically, the main topics will be

• analytics
• process engineering
• monitoring
• Vegetation effects
• modeling

will be highlighted.

Through the participation of many researchers in the field of microplastics, new contacts and new synergies can be created in addition to the exchange of information in order to better deal with various problems in research.

Event details

The workshop will take place on September 9 and 10, 2020, from 08:45 to 13:00 CET, via the online conference tool Big Blue Button.

Various speakers from the research and industrial sectors have been invited to report on current findings in the fields of analytics, process engineering, agroecology and monitoring in approximately 30-minute presentations followed by a discussion.

Registration is required in advance to participate in the workshop. To do so, please send an e-mail with a completed and signed data protection declaration to anne.richter(at)hszg.de by August 28, 2020. After successful registration, you will receive the access password for the release link (see program).

Project "Microplastics in the soil" 

Since 2006, the Institute of Process Development, Peat and Natural Product Research has been conducting research in the Process Development, Soil Science and Geotechnics, Peat and Humic Substances working groups on various projects in the field of plastic sorting and vegetation/soil analysis. The new research project "Microplastics in Soil" has established a new research focus that combines interdisciplinary tasks in the fields of chemistry, agroecology, process engineering and modeling.

The aims of the project are

• Development of a database on the properties and determination possibilities of various plastics
• Development of a simple and cost-effective analysis method for plastics
• Development of an elimination process for plastics from soil/compost
• Implementation of comprehensive monitoring and identification of pollution hotspots
• Investigation of vegetation effects under the influence of MP
• Creation of a prediction model for transport in the soil
• Investigation of decomposition processes (degradation)