After four years, the EU-funded “LIFE Blue Lakes” project to combat microplastics in inland waters presents its results at the final conference in Rome. 98 percent of the water samples taken as part of the project show microplastic pollution. The main culprits include plastic bags, cosmetics, packaging, clothing and tires. Microplastics enter the human body via the food chain, where they are likely to have harmful effects on health.
Rome/Radolfzell, 26.09.2023: The conference to present the results of “LIFE Blue Lakes”, an Italian-German project funded by the European Commission with the aim of preventing and reducing microplastics in lakes, is taking place in Rome today. Microplastics are omnipresent, but it is difficult to quantify the actual level of pollution. In the Italian lakes Bracciano, Trasimeno and Piediluco, a total of 9,000 plastic particles with a size of less than 5 millimeters were collected over a period of two years using a scientific protocol developed as part of the project. 98 percent of the water samples taken were contaminated. Analysis of these particles revealed that they are mainly polyethylene fragments that can be traced back to old plastic bags. Microplastics were also quantified and analyzed in three drinking water treatment plants and two wastewater treatment plants on Lake Garda and in Castreccioni in the province of Macerata. Between 30 and 90 percent of microplastics are retained here, consisting mainly of fragments and fibers of polyester and polypropylene used for technical and sports clothing – a single wash cycle in the washing machine can release up to one million microfibers.
The development of scientific protocols for the sampling and analysis of microplastics in lakes, drinking water and wastewater treatment plants was a central objective of the project, which was achieved and which can form an important basis for the definition of the health status of inland and marine waters and waters intended for human consumption provided for in the new European regulations.
Another aim of the project, which was coordinated by the Italian environmental organization Legambiente and implemented in collaboration with the Global Nature Fund (GNF), the Lake Constance Foundation and other partners, was to draw up the so-called Lake Paper. 40 municipalities bordering the five project lakes (Lake Constance, Lake Chiemsee, Lake Garda, Lake Bracciano and Lake Trasimeno) and around 80 interest groups, including regional authorities, companies, tour operators and associations, have entered into a voluntary commitment to help reduce plastic waste: from improving separate waste collection, maintaining lake shores and environmental education to investing in improvements to water treatment plants.
Joint action required from all players
Another project measure was a lobbying campaign for European cosmetics, outdoor clothing and tire manufacturers. More than 250 companies have been informed about the risks of microplastics in connection with their products, and 20 have shown interest in working together. The outdoor clothing industry was the quickest to react, while the cosmetics industry was hesitant. A new regulation announced by the EU Commission on September 25, 2023 now bans the sale of products that release microplastics, including cosmetics such as scrubs and glitter. The new regulations are intended to prevent the release of around half a million tons of microplastics into the environment.
In his speech at the final conference, Giorgio Zampetti, Director General of Legambiente, emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary and transboundary cooperation in the fight against microplastics: “Although research on microplastics in inland waters has increased in recent years, there is still much to learn about the distribution dynamics of microplastics in these environments and at catchment level. It is crucial that policy makers prioritize further advances in the state of research, including by promoting the standardization of measurement methods and international and interdisciplinary collaboration. This is the only way we can prevent the spread of microplastics in the ecosystems of lakes and rivers. We are at a point in history where understanding how to deal with this type of pollution can be done in parallel with the challenge of stopping the phenomenon, because the current state of knowledge and the existing technologies, regulations and tools, however inadequate they may be, allow us to work on prevention and stop microplastic pollution of the environment now.”
Udo Gattenlöhner, Managing Director of the Global Nature Fund, adds: “LIFE Blue Lakes raises awareness of the value and importance of our water bodies and their ecosystem services by highlighting the risks that micro- and nanocontamination can pose to water bodies and their user groups. Current anthropogenic influences such as the warming of our climate, changes in nutrient cycles, neobiota and other effects will have an increasingly negative impact on our terrestrial aquatic ecosystems. It is therefore important to minimize negative impacts on lakes as far as possible and to develop suitable adaptation strategies to increase the resilience of our valuable water bodies and their important ecosystem services. To achieve this, it is also necessary to convince industry, politicians and authorities of the urgency of better water management.”
Launched in 2019 thanks to co-funding from the European Commission’s LIFE program, the project was born out of the realization that for several years most research has focused on the impact of plastics in marine ecosystems, neglecting the role of freshwaters, especially lakes, which are important water reservoirs but also important receptors for microplastics and pollutants in general. Studies show that every year hundreds of thousands of plastic particles end up in the human body via food, water and the air, where harmful (endocrine) effects are very likely.
All EU “LIFE Blue Lakes” results at a glance
5 Lakes Charters realized through as many participatory pathways – 13 Italian municipalities and 65 other stakeholders who signed them – 1 Lakes Manifesto – 27 Italian municipalities who signed it – 250 stakeholders involved in the participatory pathway – 250 German and international companies, reached through the information and awareness-raising activities – 20 European companies involved in the advocacy campaign – 4 German companies in the textile and cosmetics industry that signed a memorandum of understanding and a voluntary commitment – 300 professionals and technicianstrained in the seminars for the application of the monitoring protocols – 1300 teachers and students who participated in the educational activities – 1800 participants in the lake days and conferences – 5 international events – 5 LIFE Blue Lakes Ambassadors:appointed during the project activities – 8 Italian regions participating in the roadshow – 20 artistic-scientific animation events in Italy with 1000 spectators – 22 projects involved in networking activities – 700 articles published in newspapers, magazines and on the internet highlighting the project, 5 million people reached through media work – Over 62.000 people were reached through the project websites and social media.
Surveys and reports carried out: Best practice report – Fact sheets for three sectors of activity – Online exhibition for businesses – Lake maps – Lake paper – Technical monitoring protocol for lake water and sediment – Technical monitoring protocol for wastewater and drinking water treatment plants – Education package for primary and secondary schools – White paper on lakes – Repeatability manual – Socio-economic impact study.
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Global Nature Fund (GNF)
International Foundation for Environment and Nature
Udo Gattenlöhner, Managing Director
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78315 Radolfzell, Germany
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Email: gattenloehner@globalnature.org