NanoPlastX

NanoPlastX: Chemical/microscopic methods and AI for the analysis of nanoplastics

Project start in October 2023

Nanoplastics – plastics less than 1,000 nanometers in size – are formed when larger pieces of plastic are broken down in the environment. These tiny plastic particles are harmful to many organisms. They can be taken up by plants, penetrate cell membranes and thus enter cells. Today, it is still very difficult to determine the concentration of nanoplastics in the environment and all its properties. The project “Chemical/microscopic methods and AI for the analysis of nanoplastics” is about combining different analytical methods.

The individual methods can each only generate incomplete information or only work for large nanoplastics. Therefore, in the project funded through LOEWE Exploration, artificial intelligence will be used to link the methods to generate complete information about the concentrations and important properties of nanoplastics in the environment. The combination of the various chemical analytical and imaging methods with AI-based image recognition is novel, risky and unconventional.

With the developed method, it would be possible for the first time to fully characterize nanoplastics in environmental samples and obtain important information about the potential hazard of nanoplastics and its behavior in the environment. If successful, the developed method can be used in further projects and sustainably advance the research field.

PostDoc: Dr. Alexandra Foetisch
Supervisor / PI: Prof. Dr. Moritz Bigalke
Funding: LOEWE Exploration