Plastics are an integral part of our daily lives, yet as microplastics, they accumulate in soil and water, posing a widespread environmental threat. The ACR-funded MicroDetec project addresses this challenge by investigating whether acrylic resin-based coating polymers contribute to microplastic pollution and to what extent.
The research examines potential entry into terrestrial environments during product aging. It compares the biological degradation of bio-based polymers against petroleum-based ones and explores whether any microplastics formed could be absorbed by plants, entering our food chain.
Funded by the Austrian Cooperative Research (ACR) through the Bundesministerium für Wirtschaft, Energie und Tourismus, Holzforschung Austria (HFA), the Lebensmittelversuchsanstalt (LVA), and the Center for Electron Microscopy Graz (ZFE) collaborate to develop reliable insights into this pressing environmental issue.