The Eurecat technology centre is leading the MicroWorld Puertos project, which aims to identify and characterize bacteria capable of biodegrading microplastics and nanoplastics present in the sea, one of today’s major environmental challenges.
The research will be carried out at the Port of Tarragona and at La Pineda beach, with the objective of ensuring that the bacterial strains identified are adapted to the local conditions of the Mediterranean Sea.
“Microplastic pollution is one of the main environmental concerns today. These are persistent polymers of very small size that affect ecosystems and human health, as they can enter food chains,” explains Roger Mariné, Head of the Preclinical Studies Line at Eurecat’s Nutrition and Health Unit.
According to recent data from a study carried out by the organization WWF, Spain is the second-largest contributor of plastic waste to the Mediterranean. Pere Puigbò, a researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona who is involved in the project, notes that “microplastic pollution has increased exponentially, especially from materials such as polyethylene, polystyrene, polypropylene or PVC, which degrade very slowly under natural conditions”.
For this reason, the project “provides an innovative approach based on the identification and characterization of microorganisms that develop around these plastics, combining microbiological research and bioinformatics to address this global environmental challenge,” points out Sara Gómez, Director of Eurecat’s Nutrition and Health Unit.
Within the framework of MicroWorld Puertos, the toxicity of plastics is also being assessed through experimental in vitro studies, with the aim of reducing marine pollution and moving towards a more sustainable and innovative port model. In this regard, Eurecat’s Nutrition and Health Unit uses in vivo experimental models to evaluate the effects of microplastics and nanoplastics on health.
The project has been selected in the latest call for ideas of Ports 4.0, the venture capital fund promoted by Puertos del Estado, which seeks to foster open innovation in the logistics and port sector. In addition, it involves collaboration with the MicroWorld Consortium, which includes the Autonomous University of Barcelona, the University of Turku (Finland) and Tohoku University (Japan).
