WG3 Kick-off meeting, on-line (7th April 2022)

The aim of this meeting was introduction of COST Action PRIORITY to the WG1 participants, as well as short self-introduction of the participants. Results of the questionnaire shared among participants showed that they are mostly in academia and focus on microscopy, spectroscopy and thermal methods of micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) characterization as well as on data analysis and modelling. Many PRIORITY participants want to contribute in harmonization and standardization activities in the field of MNPs. They are also interested in training their colleagues to familiarize them with different analytical techniques.

During the meeting it was also discussed several other points such as:

• Contribution of WP3 to objectives of COST action: The main objectives target collaborative projects, sharing know-how increase standardization as well as training of researchers (capacity building).
• Contribution of the WG3 to the deliverables
• Short term scientific mission (STSM) and ITC Conference Grants
• WG3 structure & networking with other WGs

2nd WG3 meeting, 2nd June 2022, on-line

During the meeting infrastructure access was explained, announced and discussed, as well as state of the art and open questions about analytical methods. The sub-group leaders gave an introduction into the methods as well as the state-of-the-art. Two lectures were included:

“Introduction into spectroscopic methods for MP analysis”
by Maria Laura Santarelli

“Introduction into thermal methods for MP analysis”
by Laurent Lemee

3^rd WG3 meeting, 4^th July 2022, hybrid (Brescia, Italy)

4th WG3 meeting, 20th October 2022, on-line

This meeting was organized as subgroup leader meeting, where discussion was made about strategy for further WG work and format of future WG meetings.

5th WG3 meeting, 12th September 2022, on-line

Two lectures were organized for this meeting in order to initiate discussions about analytical methods:

“Introduction into microscopic methods for MP analysis”
by Gregor Hlawacek

“Introduction into Raman tweezers for micro- and nanoplastic detection”
by Antonio Foti

The talk is structured under the sub-group spectroscopy.

Preliminary results of the questionnaire related to analytical instrument were presented.

6th WG3 meeting, 24th April 2023, on-line

This meeting was organized as subgroup leader meeting, where discussion was made about preparation and formalities for Full Action Meeting, and discussion of potential subjects for a joint study.

7th WG3 meeting, 20th September 2023, hybrid (Brussels, Belgium)

Two lectures were organized for this meeting:

“Quantifying microplastics in environmental samples with Py-GC-MS”
by Laurent Lemee 

“100 or 10.000 microplastics kg^-1: What are the problems with analyzing MP concentrations in soils?”
by Moritz Bigalke

Joint interlaboratory study was proposed and discussion was made about operational details of this activity.

8th WG3 meeting, 19th June 2024, hybrid (Novi Sad, Serbia)

The meeting centred on ongoing activities and recent advances in micro- and nanoplastics characterization. 

• Activity report – The session began with an update on the Kettle Comparison Study, presenting the latest results and engaging participants in a discussion on data interpretation, methodological comparability, and next analytical steps.
• Scientific presentations –
  • Matthias Schmidt (UFZ Leipzig, Germany) presented a correlative microscopic approach combining light, electron, and ion techniques to characterize micro- and nanoscale particles, highlighting the advantages of multimodal analysis for structural and chemical insights.
  • Parisa Ariya (McGill University, Canada) introduced a four-dimensional physicochemical characterization method for nano- and microplastics, enabling rapid, high-resolution analysis that captures spatial and temporal variations “in a blink of an eye.”
•  Next steps – Plans for the forthcoming meeting were briefly discussed, with attention to follow-up actions related to interlaboratory studies and analytical harmonization.

9th WG3 meeting, 10th July 2025, online

The WG3 virtual meeting focused on recent advances in analytical and data-driven approaches for micro- and nanoplastic research, bringing together experts from spectroscopy, microscopy, and environmental sciences.

• Julia Boeke (Leibniz IPHT Jena, Germany) presented developments in high-throughput analysis of microparticles, illustrating how integrated spectroscopy and imaging workflows can accelerate data acquisition and improve particle classification.
• Alexandra Foetisch (University of Darmstadt, Germany) introduced an innovative concept combining chemical and microscopic techniques with artificial intelligence, aiming to overcome current challenges in nanoplastic detection and identification.
• Guilherme Ferreira (Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) discussed the use of lanternfish as bioindicators for microplastics in the deep sea, presenting a spatiotemporal analysis based on historical museum specimens.
• In the outlook, Stefania Federici (Action Chair) highlighted upcoming activities, including the COST PRIORITY FINAL CONFERENCE to be held in Leoben, Austria, on September 2–5, 2025.