Evidence Summary – Micro- and Nanoplastics

The main objective of the systematic review is to identify which plastic polymers and associated chemicals pose the greatest risk to the Norwegian environment. This will be based on an overall assessment of incidence, exposure and effects. The knowledge will be used for measures and regulation with the goal that MNP does not cause harm to health or the environment. 

Activities and organization 

Step 1: Selection and delimitations 

You must choose which polymers, chemicals and environmental matrices are to be included in the assessment. Existing Norwegian monitoring data will be used to identify polymers (e.g. Polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), tyre wear particles) and associated chemicals that both occur in significant quantities (or are expected to occur) and have high dispersion and exposure relevance in Norway. The project should also aim to identify relevant environmental matrices and specific hot spots where the risk is assumed to be highest, particularly related to industry and accumulation areas. It can also be argued that MNPs and their associated chemicals, for which environmental data are not yet available, could nonetheless be included.  

Step 2: Link occurrence to environmental effects  

You will systematise and assess the knowledge about the environmental effects of the selected polymers and chemicals, and link this to levels measured or expected in the Norwegian environment. These effects must be linked to realistic Norwegian exposure levels. In this step, future scenarios should also be included as part of the assessment, as MNP has great accumulation potential in certain matrices. It is also important to highlight uncertainty and where knowledge is limited.  

Step 3: Further prioritisation  

The results of the project must be translatable into practicable prioritisation, for example in the work on the Water Framework Directive, in that the delivery is organised in such a way that it can be used as a basis for decision-making in regulatory development. In order to achieve practical applicability for the environmental authorities, ranking of the polymers and the associated chemicals according to overall risk, based on occurrence, exposure and effects may be suitable. 

You must present the evidence summary as a final report, including a summary for decision-makers. After the project has ended, you can publish the results in peer-reviewed scientific journals and/or as peer-reviewed book chapters. 

Requirements for the application 

You must use an established methodology for systematic literature searches in databases for research literature, predefined criteria for inclusion and exclusion, and solid methods for analysis of the material. 

Why are we announcing these funds? 

Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are complex contaminants that can accumulate in the environment and may have negative impacts on ecosystems over time. Monitoring data from Norway show that MNPs are present in most environments, with the hightest levels found in urban areas in accumulation zones such as the Oslofjord. At the same time, the knowledge base is weak with regard to the relationship between proven levels, environmental effects and which plastic polymers and plastic-associated chemicals pose the highest risk. This makes it challenging to create targeted regulation and measures when priorities are required. Today's regulation takes limited account of secondary microplastics and associated chemical loads, despite increasing documentation of dispersion and potential harm. In order to be able to use the precautionary and the polluter-pays principles in a knowledge-based manner, there is a need to link Norwegian monitoring data, together with predicted future environmental levels, with available research on environmental effects. The project will contribute to a more efficient and accurate regulation of MNP in the Norwegian environment. 

There is an increasing amount of environmental data that is relevant to Norwegian conditions when it comes to environmental toxins, but also recently on microplastics, including from monitoring programs funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency and other international databases. The Norwegian Environment Agency wants to utilize the potential of this data basis for further regulation and prioritisation. At the same time, we want the Norwegian situational picture to be seen in the context of other existing research data and similar initiatives on the topic. The Norwegian Environment Agency will provide information about relevant projects at the start of the project. 

The project will contribute to the most comprehensive picture possible of the MNP situation for Norway in given environmental matrices with associated uncertainties and estimates for the future situation: 

• Surface waters (with different anthropogenic influences, freshwater and marine) 
• The water column (with different anthropogenic influences, freshwater and marine) 
• Sediments (with different anthropogenic influences, freshwater and marine) 
• Soil (with different anthropogenic influences) 
• Biota (freshwater, marine and terrestrial) 
• Air 

Data on human health may also be relevant to the project. 

Access to data 

The Norwegian Environment Agency manages a number of monitoring programmes that may be relevant to the project.See information on the Norwegian Environment Agency's website. Raw data from the Norwegian Environment Agency's monitoring programmes that are relevant to the project will be made available, such as the national monitoring programme for microplastics, MIKRONOR (Micronor: Microplastics in the Norwegian environment - miljodirektoratet.no). In addition to aggregated microplastic data available for the aquatic environment, the data will have many associated dimensions and metadata such as shape (fiber, fragment, etc.), sizes and material type (PE, PP, etc.) per particle. This will also be made available. Information from the PlastChem project may also be relevant. 

Other guidelines and requirements 

In the application, you must document that the project will have access to relevant capacity, expertise and relevant databases. When assessing the applications, we will place emphasis on the project team's experience from similar projects. You can supplement your own institutional capacity and expertise through collaboration and possibly the use of subcontractors. 

The roles and contributions of the various actors in the project must be described in the project description, under the section Implementation.  

This call is funded by the Norwegian Environment Agency. To ensure the project's administrative relevance, the Research Council and the Norwegian Environment Agency will establish an advisory group. We expect the Project Owner to meet with this group to anchor choices at the start of the project and during all three stages of the project period. The meeting schedule is agreed as part of the contract negotiations. 

The call is available in both Norwegian and English. The English text of the announcement is legally binding.