WG5 Kick-off meeting, on-line (21st April 2022)

First activity of this meeting was introduction of COST Action PRIORITY to the WG5 participants, as well as short self-introduction of the participants. The discussion of the main topics lead to several decisions:

1) to perform a reconnaissance of the WG5 members by collecting information on participant expertise and facilities through an on-line survey;

2) to define the WG5 substructure on the basis of availability, expertise and specific interest of WG5 members;

3) to organize the TRAINING SCHOOL – Micro and nanoplastic pollution: detection and mitigation, present and future challenges associated to the 3^rd International Conference on Microplastic Pollution in Mediterranean Sea, μMED (28-30 September 2022) in Naples, Italy, Partenope Congress Center.

2^nd WG5 meeting, 5^th July 2022, hybrid meeting (Brescia, Italy)

The main outcomes of the meeting were:

1) analysis of the on-line survey and identification of the topic of interests of the WG5 members;

2) Hypothesis of WG5 breakdown in subgroups and identification of subgroup leaders;

3) Structure of the TRAINING SCHOOL – Micro and nanoplastic pollution: detection and mitigation, present and future challenges;

4) Discussion on specific topics:

• Multivariate analysis approaches by Marco Milanesio Università del Piemonte Orientale, Alessandria Italy.
• Biodegradability and Biodegradable polymers by Rosica Mincheva University of Mons, Belgium.

3^rd WG5 meeting, 21^st September 2023, hybrid meeting (Bruxelles, Belgium)

The main outcomes were:

1) Presentation of WG5 subgroup leaders;

2) Discussion on specific topics:

• Circular economy: towards materials more prone to enzymatic recycling by Jean-Marie Raquez University of Mons, Belgium.
• Multivariate analysis methods for polymer characterization: toward the reduction of waste in EPS production and usage by Marco Milanesio Università del Piemonte Orientale, Alessandria Italy.
• From desert to farmland: local solutions for global microplastic challenges by Carlos Espinoza González Research Center for Applied Chemistry, Saltillo Coahuila, Mexico.
• Biodegradation of plastics induced by marine organisms: new plastic materials and future perspectives for bioremediation approaches by Giovanni Libralato Univesity of Naples Federeico II, Naples, Italy.
• Towards novel photochemical aerobic upcycling processes of polystyrene plastics: applications in the synthesis of pharmaceuticals Christoforos by Kokotos National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Panepistimiopolis 15771, Athens, Greece
• Graphene-based aerogels for micro and nano plastic filtration by Halit Cavusoglu Selcuk University, Konya, Türkiye
• Reduction and determination of microplastics in wastewater through elutriation/centrifugation by Rubén Rodríguez-Alegre Leitat Technological Center, Terrassa (Barcelona), Spain
• Poly(lactic acid) production and chemical recycling on a circular economy approach by Valentina Sessini Universidad de Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid) Spain.
• An engineered cellular system to remove nano/micro-plastic contamination by Urartu Ozgur Safak Seker Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey

4th WG5 meeting, 19th June 2024, hybrid (Novi Sad, Serbia)

A dedicated WG6 meeting was held to explore emerging research directions and practical approaches related to microplastics and sustainable materials. The session combined oral presentations from invited experts with an open discussion on future perspectives and synergies with ongoing PRIORITY activities.

The meeting featured three keynote contributions:

• Uroš Novak (National Institute of Chemistry, Slovenia) presented “Sustainable Alternatives to Plastic Materials: Are We There Yet?”, highlighting current advances and remaining challenges in the development and scalability of environmentally friendly polymers.
• Belén Carboneras (Captoplastic, Spain) introduced the Microplastics Universal Solution Treatment (MUST) technology, an innovative approach for the removal and treatment of microplastics.
• Laura Ciaralli (ISPRA, Italy) shared insights from studies on microplastic ingestion in commercial crustacean species, emphasizing the link between marine pollution and food safety.
  
  

The meeting concluded with a round-table discussion focused on integrating these complementary perspectives—prevention, remediation, and monitoring—into future WG6 activities. Participants agreed on the importance of promoting interdisciplinary collaboration between research, industry, and regulatory institutions to support sustainable innovation and evidence-based policymaking in the field of micro- and nanoplastics.