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Navigating beneath the Arctic ice

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Exploring the impact of microplastics

#environment #microplastics #research #sea #sensors

Microplastics in the sea are a danger to plants, animals and humans. To better assess the impact of these mini-particles, an EU project will measure their size and concentration off the Norwegian coast from 2023. A sensor developed in Switzerland will play a crucial role.

Microplastics in the sea are a danger to plants, animals and humans.

The aim of the EU-funded Nautilos project is to obtain the basic data needed to better assess the dangers and effects of microplastics on the marine environment.

To this end, a fleet of ships sailing off the Norwegian coast is to be equipped with measuring instruments in a so-called ferry box in 2023. One of the instruments, which will for the first time systematically collect data over the long term, will be a new type of sensor that records the concentration and particle size distribution of microplastics on the spot.

Particles are being dyed

This particle detector is being designed by the csem research and development center in the swiss town of Landquart. "The csem research team plans to use fluorescence in their detection method - a robust, cost-effective and, above all, easy-to-use approach," according to a news release.

A fluidics system developed by a partner organization will filter microplastic particles from seawater and stain them with a fluorescent dye. These dyed plastic samples will be passed through the csem sensor device at regular intervals. There, the dyed plastic emits light whose color and intensity differ depending on the type of plastic and size of the particles.

Written by: sda

Photos: keystone

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July 10th, 2020
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March 29th, 2021
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April 19th, 2021
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May 3rd, 2021
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May 17th, 2021
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August 23rd, 2021
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August 30th, 2021
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September 6th, 2021
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September 13th, 2021
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October 4th, 2021
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October 6th, 2021
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October 11th, 2021
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November 1st, 2021
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November 8th, 2021
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November 15th, 2021
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December 6th, 2021
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December 13th, 2021
Glacier V at Schnapfenkuchl in the Austrian Alps in comparison 1954 and 2020.

Researchers keep an eye on invisible glaciers

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January 3rd, 2022
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January 10th, 2022
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January 25th, 2022
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January 26th, 2022
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MIT creates new atlas of oxygen-poor waters

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February 7th, 2022
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More targeted therapy for multiple sclerosis

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April 11th, 2022
Antarctica

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April 18th, 2022
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Completely paralysed patient can communicate again

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May 6th, 2022
Sacha Menz sitting and working at his desk

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May 6th, 2022
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May 16th, 2022
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May 23rd, 2022
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June 13th, 2022
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June 27th, 2022
Franz Winter from the TU Vienna

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July 4th, 2022
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October 3rd, 2022
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October 17th, 2022
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November 7th, 2022
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November 9th, 2022
An illustration of the new VR glove designed by scientists

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December 5th, 2022
Peter Wick from Empa's "Particles-Biology Interactions" laboratory in St. Gallen.

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January 16th, 2023
AnimatedGIF_Key

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February 3rd, 2023
an image of broken smartphones about to be recycled

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February 6th, 2023
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February 13th, 2023
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March 6th, 2023
Scientists Jörg Standfuss and Maximilian Wranik

Switching drugs on and off with light

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March 13th, 2023
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New analysis method aims to solve climate puzzle

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March 20th, 2023
Image of a house being printed

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March 31st, 2023
The robotic system is shown in an experimental hive

A high-tech honeycomb for bees

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April 17th, 2023
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Recipe for greener concrete

Concrete has a huge carbon footprint. Researchers at MIT in the USA have now developed a method to make its production more climate-friendly. The secret ingredient: baking powder.
May 8th, 2023
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May 15th, 2023
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May 22nd, 2023
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June 5th, 2023
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July 13th, 2023
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July 24th, 2023
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August 2nd, 2023
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September 11th, 2023
Carlos Sanchez

A smart path into a sustainable future

Sustainability is no longer a distant dream but a present and pressing reality. Climate change and environmental degradation are forcing companies to take action. They must innovate and implement smart sustainability solutions, says Carlos Sanchez, a renowned sustainability visionary who shared with us the latest sustainability trends that can help build robust, resilient, and sustainable businesses.
September 28th, 2023
Mechanics performing maintenance work on an aircraft

Researchers make non-recyclable plastic recyclable

Swiss researchers have developed a new type of recyclable plastic that could be used in aircraft, cars or wind turbines in the future.
October 2nd, 2023
Recycled asphalt was used on the Lucmanier Pass

More recycled asphalt on Swiss roads

Tests with recycled asphalt on Swiss roads show promising results. In Uster ZH and on the Lukmanier Pass GR, the proportion of recycled asphalt could be increased without any loss of performance, according to Empa.
October 16th, 2023
a photovoltaic system on a house facade

Sun soon to be the most important source of energy

The sun is likely to become the world's most important source of energy before 2050, according to British scientists. This is the result of an analysis of technological and economic data by the University of Exeter and University College London.
November 27th, 2023
A hospital room with two beds divided by a curtain

Germicidal textiles for hospitals

A new process developed by Swiss researchers makes textiles germicidal. In future, this could be used to coat curtains in hospitals.
December 25th, 2023
G.V. Shivashankar arbeitet am PSI und der ETH Zürich

Fountain of youth for cells

Reprogrammed cells allow wounds in older people to heal faster. This could, for example, help burn victims.
January 1st, 2024
A scientist taking a water sample with a bottle

Gentle identification of fish species through their DNA

Identifying fish species in a river using DNA traces: This method was tested in Switzerland. It proved to be simpler and more reliable than the electrofishing method used to date.
January 15th, 2024
pressed plastic bottles

Microplastics fly particularly far and high

Microplastic fibres fly higher and further than previously assumed - even as far as the Arctic.
January 22nd, 2024
A futuristic aircraft with a blended wing body

Aircraft of the future make less noise

In an Empa research project, study participants rated the noise of new types of aircraft as less annoying than the noise of today's aircraft.
April 9th, 2024
the airship flying over a coast

British company produces climate-friendly airship

According to its developers, the British airship Airlander 10 could take off for commercial flights with passengers from 2028.
April 22nd, 2024