The Platform will serve as an online repository for the findings of the network of marine monitoring laboratories supported through the IAEA's NUTEC Plastics initiative. Access is available with the creation of a free IAEA Nucleus account .
Plastic pollution is a global environmental challenge. Each year, between 19 to 23 million tonnes of plastic waste enter the marine ecosystem and over time the discarded plastic is broken down into microplastic, making it easier for plastics to enter water, soil and living organisms. Effective monitoring of microplastics in the ocean on a global scale depends on the ability to compare data across countries and regions.
"The network will help advance the work of existing laboratories by strengthening global cooperation and knowledge exchange on marine plastic pollution," said Margaret Doane, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Management in her opening remarks. "Through the NUTEC Plastics initiative, the Agency is helping countries use nuclear and isotopic techniques to better understand, monitor and ultimately address plastic pollution," she added.
Standardization and Harmonization of Microplastic Monitoring Protocols
Differences in sampling protocols, analytical methodologies and data collection methods of laboratories globally have made generating reliable, comparable data on marine microplastics difficult.
The NUTEC Global Marine Monitoring Network brings together specialized laboratories around the world capable of monitoring marine microplastic concentrations and trends using harmonized protocols.
"Microplastic pollution is one of the most pervasive environmental threats of our era, yet historically our ability to fight this threat has been hindered by the lack of standardized data," said Jasmina Obhođaš from the Institute Ruder Boskovic in Croatia at the network launch. "By uniforming our methods under the NUTEC Plastics framework, we equip policy-makers, scientists and other experts with reliable data needed to protect our marine and coastal environment," she added.
Through a series of IAEA technical cooperation projects, scientists have been working on harmonizing protocols for the sampling, separation and identification of microplastics in beach sand and surface waters. This global collaboration supports the detection of trends in global plastic pollution, allowing scientists and decision-makers to develop more effective mitigation strategies.
"More than 400 technical specialists have been trained to collect, sample and analyse marine microplastics using harmonized methodologies. More than 80 countries have received sampling and analytical equipment to reinforce their capacity to determine microplastic abundance in coastal and marine zones", said Jing Zhang, Acting Director of the Division for Europe, IAEA Department for Technical Cooperation, speaking on behalf of the 'Deputy Director General, Hua Liu.
Strengthening Capacity Through Equipment Provision
Accurate monitoring of microplastics relies not only on standardized protocols but also on access to the equipment essential for processing samples locally.
Through NUTEC Plastics, the IAEA has strengthened the capacity of laboratories participating in the network by providing advanced analytical equipment, including vibrational spectroscopy systems such as Attenuated Total Reflectance - Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR), which are used to identify the chemical composition of plastic particles, and sampling kits for the collection and analysis of marine microplastic.
"Through NUTEC Plastics, we used advanced technologies and participating countries now have the capacity and equipment to collect samples that are not contaminated and process them in their laboratories to identify plastics," said Eric Okuku from the Kenya Marine and Fisheries Research Institute.
At the launch event, attendees heard how participating laboratories can feed their data directly into the NUTEC Monitoring Platform, contributing to building a global understanding of marine microplastic pollution.
"The Global NUTEC Plastics Marine Monitoring Network with its common database is the result of dedicated, collaborative work under the scientific leadership of our IAEA Marine Environment Laboratories in Monaco. These efforts are strengthening the science needed to support evidence-based policies and international action to address marine plastic pollution", said Florence Descroix-Comanducci, Director of the IAEA's Marine Environmental Laboratories.
Turning Data into Action
Using nuclear and molecular techniques, countries can now generate and access data needed to develop evidence-based mitigation strategies.
"Through the support of NUTEC, for example, in the Philippines we were able to establish a fully functional and operational microplastics research and training facility; the first in the country that is dedicated to this purpose," said Deo Onda from the University of the Philippines. "All of the data generated is being fed into decision-making, and in this way, NUTEC ensures that solutions to pollution are science-based, data-informed and long-lasting," he added.
With reliable data on how microplastics enter, move through and affect marine ecosystems, scientists can identify appropriate ways to address emerging challenges related to plastic pollution.
