MICROPOLL – Microplastics in the Baltic Sea

The project MICROPOLL addresses the topic of micro-plastics in the Baltic Sea from an integrated perspective, including associated pollutants and micro-organisms. Activities include, for example, determining the abundance and composition of micro-plastics in the water, in sediments, and on the beaches at the Baltic Sea as well as estimating the duration of micro-plastics in the ecosystem and figuring out the vector function of micro-plastics for micro-organisms. The generated data is used with the intention of understanding the sources, the decrease and the distributional patterns of micro-plastics in the Baltic Sea. This is done by means of spatial-temporal scenarios and models which shall help to develop prevention strategies. Part of the initiative is furthermore providing and discussing the knowledge gained in workshops for end users. In this way, the project results shall be made use of in the most effective way possible.