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FORSTERK-Forsterkningsmidler

Norwegian Quality Controlled Harmonization Assuring Reproducible Monitoring and assessment of plastic pollution (NORqCHARM)

Alternative title: Norsk kvalitetskontrollert harmonisering for å sikre reproduserbar overvåkning og evaluering av platsforurensning (NORqCHARM)

Awarded: NOK 0.78 mill.

While plastic pollution is regarded as one of the most serious environmental challenge of today, we are still struggling to understand the extend of plastic pollution and its consequences. A key challenge is the lack of standardized monitoring protocols and a good understanding of what knowledge decisionmakers need to support policy. Using insights from the EU project EUROqCHARM, NORqCHARM we have organized a series of workshops with Norwegian stakeholders to discuss the challenges and opportunities to develop a holistic monitoring program for plastics in Norway that is in line with international monitoring efforts. The workshops have covered both macroplastic and microplastic monitoring, involved Norwegian institutions involved in plastic monitoring and research, NGOs and management institutions. A workshop with Norwegian stakeholders at the Norwegian Environment Agency in Oslo identified the knowledge they would like to have on macroplastics and litter in Norway. This mapping identified a need for monitoring data to quantify the amount and influx of litter, as well as identify its sources so that the data can be used to identify targeted measures, including following up producer responsibility, and measure the impact of measures. These knowledge needs are partly met by data on beach litter available today, but there is a need to increase the quality and amount of data in time and space. The mapping of Norwegian stakeholder’s need for knowledge on litter was included in a larger assessment of a holistic monitoring program on litter in Norway. Another workshop was organised together with SINTEF Ocean in Trondheim in connection with the international conference MICRO2022. NIVA, SINTEF and NTNU established a ‘local node’ for this on-line conference. Presentations of EUROqCHARM, SINTEF Ocean and NTNU on harmonization methods to monitor plastic litter followed by discussions with stakeholders and instrument makers were given locally. In addition, selected on-line lectures from MICRO 2022 were attended followed by a discussion session. The second day of the workshop was dedicated the Plastic Treaty, and the following questions were discussed in a *world Café’ setting. How can we contribute to the treaty? What are “good" and “bad" solutions? What type of evidence can we provide to policy-makers? What should future plastic research look like to suit the treaty. Implications for plastic research moving forward (effectiveness of policies). Key evidence in the MICRO Norwegian community to support the UN Treaty negotiations were summarized and presented on-line at the final plenary session of the conference. The third workshop was organised in connection with the ‘Arctic Frontiers’ meeting in Tromsø, here sampling of microplastic was discussed at the between the Norwegian Polar Institute, SINTEF Ocean, Akvaplan-Niva and NIVA and how the result from EUROqCHARM (the assessment of technical readiness levels TRLs) can be used for sampling and more specifically in the Arctic region. Several large volume sampling devices to sample microplastic in the water column (pump systems) and surface water (manta trawl) are in use and protocols need to be harmonized or calibrated. A calibration exercise was discussed and might be performed at NIVAs research station at the Oslofjord in 2024.

Key outcomes of the project have been: Macro litter monitoring findings in a Norwegian context has been disseminated through social media channels and a stakeholder workshop. The input from the stakeholder workshop has informed a report to the Norwegian Environment Agency on development of a Norwegian monitoring program for macroplastics and litter. This insight has been disseminated to an international Audience at the 2023 Arctic Frontiers Conference and at the Arctic Plastics conference in Reykjavik November 2023. This project enabled Norwegian laboratories to participate in the ILC studies, (EUROFINS Bergen, Institute of Marine Research Norway, NORCE - Norwegian Research Centre AS, Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) in addition to partners SALT Lofoton AS and Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA). Preliminary results showed that Norwegian laboratories performed well and in line with the other 98 laboratories taking part in the ILC study. It should however be noted that the variation between the participating laboratories was relatively large (> 75% RSD) which is much larger than normally expected for trace analysis signalizes the further need of harmonization and standardization of microplastic analysis. A Norwegian protocol for large volume microplastic sampling of marine and Artic samples was presented at a stakeholder workshop (Tromsø). A calibration study of different large volume sampling methods was discussed and planned to take place in 2024 at NIVA research station. Impact: The needs of Norwegian stakeholders for data on macrolitter and plastics has been documented and informed advice on a Norwegian monitoring program. The activities have contributed to discussing the need for a harmonized monitoring program and methods development both with local stakeholders and the wider scientific communities. The Norqcharm activities have provided training on monitoring of microplastics to secure harmonization of protocols and methods and contributed to input and discussion on implementation of a holistic monitoring program for plastics and litter in Norway. NORqCHARM enabled Norwegian laboratories 6 Norwegian laboratories to participate in quality assurance activities by joining an international interlaboratory comparison study. The Norwegian participants also had the opportunity to attend a workshop discussing the results on site in Amsterdam or on-line. The results of the Norwegian laboratories were in-line with the 98 laboratories participating in the study and the standard of microplastic analysis in Norway. NORqCHARM further more initiated knowledge transfer on the concept of making microplastic reference material to Norwegian SME (Chiron, Trondheim), which resulted in a license agreemnet between NIVA and Chiron fro the large scale production of reference material.

The overall objective of EU H2020 project EUROqCHARM is to develop optimized, validated and harmonized methods for monitoring and assessment of plastics in the environment, as well as blueprints for standards and recommendations for policy and legislation. EUROqCHARM will establish harmonized methodologies for the monitoring and assessment of macro-, micro- and nanoplastics in the environment with key actors involved in plastic pollution research in Europe. EUROqCHARM will critically review state-of the-art analytical methods and, taking harmonization one step further, validating these methods through interlaboratory comparison studies. The results of EUROQCHARM are important for Norwegian stakeholders and will impact plastic litter monitoring also in Norway. To take advantage of these result in a Norwegian setting NORqCHARM will organize several dissemination activities including the organisation of three (stakeholder) workshops. NORqCHARM will focus on three areas important and relevant for Norway; 1) evaluating the findings on methods for macroplastics in a Norwegian setting, 2) assuring participation of Norwegian laboratories performing microplastic analysis in the EUROqCHARM Interlaboratory comparison study (ILC), 3) standardize sampling of large volume marine water for Nordic coastal and Arctic conditions. NORqCHARM will actively work with the following stakeholder including: Activity 1 Macroplastic: fisheries, aquaculture, construction , WWTPs, NGOs, KNB, MARFO, municipalities, plastic municipal and county Governor, Norwegian Environmental Agency. Activity 2 ILC study: University of Bergen, NGI, NTNU, SINTEF Ocean, NPI, NORCE IMR, Akvaplan-niva, NILU, Fram Centre, UiT, NIBIO, Eurofins Norway, ALS Norway. Activity 3 Marine sampling: the Norwegian Environment Agency, Standard Norway, the Norwegian Polar Institute, Color Line, Hurtigruten and Viking Cruises

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FORSTERK-Forsterkningsmidler

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