TY - JOUR A1 - Schwibbert, Karin A1 - de Eulate Pérez, Elisa García A1 - Wen, Keqing A1 - Voss, Heike A1 - Thiele, Dorothea A1 - Richter, Anja M. A1 - Bonse, Jörn T1 - Escherichia coli repellence via laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) on titanium: Critical role of biofilm-associated gene expression N2 - The inconsistency in the observed bacteria-repellent effects of laser-induced surface textures remains a subject of scientific debates. With E. coli TG1 as test strain, we performed biofilm formation assays on ultrashort pulse laser textured titanium. Samples covered with low spatial frequency LIPSS (LSFL) of periods around 750 nm or with high spatial frequency LIPSS (HSFL) featuring smaller periods around 100 nm were processed on polished samples. While LSFL significantly reduce the number of adhering bacteria compared to the polished reference, HSFL do not. Simultaneously, we concentrate our study on bacterial strategies employed for biofilm formation, that is the transcription of the biofilm-associated genes csgB, involved in primary adhesion to a surface, and wza, participating in biofilm maturation. Promoter regions of these genes were cloned into a promotor probe plasmid with the green fluorescent protein GFP+ as reporter and transferred into the test strain. As indicated by the fluorescence intensity of the reporter protein, among the bacteria colonizing LSFL-covered areas, a markedly higher proportion of cells transcribing csgB or wza were detected, compared to the bacterial populations colonizing the polished or HSFL-covered areas. To our knowledge, this is the first study indicating that the antifouling effect of LSFL topographies can be counteracted when bacteria activate biofilm-associated genes. KW - Laser-induced periodic surface structures (LIPSS) KW - Titanium KW - Biofilm KW - Antifouling KW - Gene expression KW - Fluorescence microscopy PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-655572 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2026.166363 SN - 0169-4332 VL - 730 SP - 1 EP - 9 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Božičević, Lucija A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Hildebrandt, Jana A1 - Knigge, Xenia A1 - Vrček, Valerije A1 - Peranić, Nikolina A1 - Kalcec, Nikolina A1 - Vinkovic Vrcek, Ivana T1 - Estrogenic activity of plastic nanoparticles mixture under in vitro settings N2 - The plastic value chain, central part of modern living, caused environmental pollution and bioaccumulation of plastic nanoparticles (PNPs). Their ubiquitous presence in different environmental and biological compartments has become a serious threat to human health and ecosystems. Frequently used plastic materials such as polypropylene (PP), polystyrene (PS) and polyethylene (PE) have been detected in the form of PNPs in the food chain, soil, water and air, as well as in human feces and blood. In this study, we aimed to provide novel insights in endocrine disrupting properties of PNPs using in vitro estrogen receptor (ER) transactivation assay. The effects of PP-NPs, PE-NPs and PS-NPs and their mixture on T47D-KBluc cell line stably transfected with luciferase as reporter enzyme was evaluated by means of cytotoxicity, cellular uptake and ER activation. Tested dose range for PNPs was 0.001 – 10 mg/L. Both cellular uptake and cytotoxicity for all PNPs was found to be dose-dependent. Only the highest dose of PP-NPs and PE-NPs induced apoptosis and cell death, while PS-NPs were not cytotoxic in tested dose range. For tested concentrations, PP-NPs and PE-NPs showed significant agonistic activity on ER, while PS-NPs cannot be considered ER active. When, applied as mixture, PNP demonstrated additive toxicity effects compared to the effect of each individual PNPs. Additivity was also observed for ER agonistic effect of PNPs mixture according to the benchmark dose-addition modelling approach. This study provides missing science-based evidence on endocrine disrupting effects of PE-NPs, PP-NPs, PS-NPs and their mixtures and highlights the importance of considering unintentional, aggregate and combined exposure to different PNPs in risk management. KW - Risk assessment KW - Nanoplastics KW - Estrogenic activity of plastic nanoparticles PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D3EN00883E SN - 2051-8153 VL - 11 IS - 5 SP - 2112 EP - 2126 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-59724 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Schmitt, M. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Fengler, Petra A1 - Gehde, M. T1 - Air-based polyethylene fragmentation with high yield to form microplastic particles as reference material candidates N2 - Microplastic particles with sizes between 1 to 1000 μm are widely distributed worldwide. Origin, transport pathways and fate are poorly known, as sampling, sample preparation and detection methods are major challenges. In addition, reference materials that mimic environmental particles are lacking. Most challenging is the yield of MP particle production and the need for resource-intensive grinding with liquid nitrogen. In this paper, a machine is designed to produce aged microplastic particles as reference material candidates with high yield. The machine is based on ultraviolet aging of a thin foil and mechanical fragmentation using clean air. An example of aging and fragmentation of high density polyethylene with additional physical and chemical characterization of shape, size, aging state by carbonyl index and density is presented. KW - Microplastics KW - Degradation of polyethylene KW - Air fragmentation KW - Microplastics reference material PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1002/appl.202200121 SP - 1 EP - 18 PB - Wiley online library AN - OPUS4-57203 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Weber, Simone T1 - Influence of the pH Value to the Degradation of Ester-Based Thermoplastic Polyurethanes N2 - Microplastics are solid polymeric particles with a size of 1-1000 μm (ISO/TR21960:2020), which can be emitted from mismanaged waste into the environment, where microplastic is now ubiquitous. What happens to the microplastics after ending up in the environment, which risks entail and what effects it has are not sufficiently clarified up to now. The most certain issue is that the plastic particles in the environment are exposed to natural ageing, are fragmenting and degrading, such that the potential risk to ecosystems and humans is increasing due to the formation of smaller and smaller particles, potentially even including nanoplastics, if these are ingested before their further degradation. Therefore, and in view of a possible registration of polymers under REACH in the future, it is necessary to investigate the degradation of thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPU) regarding hydrolysis stability to evaluate possible risks and effects to the environment. In the present studies, one thermoplastic polyurethane – with and without hydrolysis stabilizer – is exposed to different pH buffers at 50°C for 14 days to investigate hydrolysis depending to different pH values (acid, alkali and neutral) based on OECD guideline TG111. The hydrolysis behavior of the TPUs is characterized by surface sensitive techniques and on bulk properties. First degradation effects can be detected by SEC. Hydrolysis, especially under acidic and basic conditions, leads to chain scissions to lower molecular masses. Furthermore, the degradation products which indicate the structure of the bulk material were detected by thermo-analytical methods like TGA-FTIR for the small degradation products and the thermo extraction/desorption-gaschromatography/mass spectrometry (TED-GC/MS) for bigger degradation products. Acidic and basic hydrolysis shows the same degradation behavior which is caused by a preferred scission of the ester and urethane functionalities. Surface-sensitive techniques such as XPS demonstrate less carboxylic acid formation at acidic than at alkaline pH value in the TPU without stabilator, where as the TPU with stabilator ages to the same extent in both pH ranges. Altogether, the hydrolysis of TPUs – independently of added stabilizer or not – in acid and alkali environment is accelerated compared to the neutral hydrolysis. T2 - SETAC CY - Dubin, Ireland DA - 30.04.2023 KW - Degradation KW - Thermoplastic Polyurethane KW - Microplastic KW - Polymer Hydrolysis KW - Polymer 3R KW - REACH PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58906 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Cirkovic Velickovic, T. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Dailey, L T1 - CUSP Conference WG1 & WG3: MATERIALS AND METHODS N2 - This talk is a presentation about the main results of the CUSP cluster on micro- and nanoplastics human health that work from 2021 to 2025 in Horizon Europe programme according to the WG1 and 3. These groups combined the analytics and the materials with interlaboratory comparisons (ILC). The talk reflects the need of realistic test materials with defined properties for micro- and nanoplastic research. Some were developed are now available. The talk also highlights the need for harmonisation and the results of different ILCs that were performed. T2 - CUSP conference CY - Brussels, Belgium DA - 25.02.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials KW - Interlaboratory comparison (ILC) PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-62703 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Kittner, Maria A1 - Kalbe, Ute A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Freisetzung von Mikroplastik aus Sportböden N2 - Die Europäische Kommission hat 2023 ein Verbot zum bewussten Austrag von Mikroplastik (MP) in die Umwelt beschlossen, das auch für die Verwendung von synthetischen Gummi-Granulaten (v. a. EPDM) in Sportböden gilt. In Deutschland gibt es laut DFB ca. 5100 Kunstrasenplätze. In der EU beläuft sich die Anzahl laut ECHA auf 13,000 Kunstrasen- und 47,000 Bolzplätze, Tendenz steigend. Das Hauptziel des Projektes ist daher, eine Massenbilanz für die Freisetzung von MP zu erstellen, um so eine Schätzung des MP-Austrags pro Kunstrasenplatz und Jahr zu ermöglichen. Dafür werden die MP-Emissionen von drei Kunstrasenszenarien in verschiedenen Zuständen (ungealtert, künstlich gealtert und in Echtzeit gealtert) verglichen: die Vergangenheit (Kunstrasen: fossilbasiert, EPDM-Füllung), die Gegenwart (der in Europa am häufigsten installierte Rasen) und die Zukunft (Rasen mit recycelten Grasfasern, keine synthetische Füllung sondern z.B. Quarzsand oder Korkschrott). Dazu werden fabrikneue Kunststoffrasen und EPDM-Granulat unter Laborbedingungen beschleunigt gealtert, um die Freiland-Beanspruchung eines Kunststoffrasens in circa 15 Jahren abzubilden. Die Verwendung spezieller Mikrofiltertiegel in Lysimeter-Experimenten ermöglicht die Abschätzung der Partikelgrößen des emittierten MP, was eine Grundbedingung für die Bewertung einer potenziellen Gesundheitsgefährdung für Menschen ist. Ergänzend werden weitere umweltrelevante Schadstoffausträge aus den Kunststoffrasen quantifiziert und so mögliche Transportpfade überprüft. Um in Zukunft den Anforderungen des Kreislaufwirtschaftsgesetzes zu entsprechen, sollen in diesem Projekt zudem Erkenntnisse zur Rückführbarkeit von Gummi-Granulaten und Altrasen in den Rohstoffkreislauf gewonnen werden KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Kunststoffrasen KW - PAK KW - Schwermetalle PY - 2024 UR - https://www.zukunftbau.de/neue-meldung/zukunft-bau-journal-2024 SP - 9 EP - 9 PB - Bundesinstitut für Bau-, Stadt- und Raumforschung (BBSR) CY - Bonn AN - OPUS4-61823 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Frelih, Milena T1 - Impact of Engineered Nanomaterials on Microbial Communities in the Aquatic Environment N2 - Engineered nanoparticles have garnered significant attention for their unique properties and potential applications across various industries. They were extensively examined for their toxicological effect in vitro and in vivo, but their effects on environmental and biological systems remain underexplored. A key area of concern is how nanoparticles interact with microbial communities in natural ecosystems, since these communities are vital for processes such as nutrient cycling, biodegradation, and maintaining ecosystem health and functioning. Currently, environmental risk assessments of nanoparticles majorly involve higher organisms (e.g. algae, zooplankton), but omit the effects on complex communities and ecosystems as a whole. This research aims to investigate the impact of nanomaterials on aquatic microbial communities using a combination of laboratory experiments and field-sampling along a gradient from low to highly anthropogenically impacted aquatic ecosystems around Berlin, Germany. To holistically assess changes in microbial composition and functional activity in response to nanomaterial exposure, we will apply molecular, microbiological, analytical as well as OMIC methods. We hypothesize that nanoparticles induce significant compositional changes in microbial community structures, potentially leading to alterations in stress responses and other functional effects. Nanomaterials have the potential to benefit the environment by contributing to energy and resource efficiency, remediation of contaminated sites, or water treatment. In order to represent truly sustainable products, though, a safe use for humans and ecosystems must be assured. Ultimately, this research will contribute to more accurate environmental risk assessments and help guide the responsible use of nanotechnology in various industries. T2 - SETAC Europe CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Microbial Communities KW - Aquatic Environment KW - Nanomaterials PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63164 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Detektion von Mikroplastik N2 - In dem Vortrag geht es um die Möglichkeiten der Detektion von Mikroplastik im Allgemeinen. Es werden Beispiele für die Luft gezeigt. T2 - VDI-Workshop „Mikroplastik in der Außenluft – Was wir wissen und was wir (noch) nicht wissen CY - Online meeting DA - 15.11.2022 KW - Mikroplastik KW - Mikroplastik in Luft KW - Detektion von Mikroplastik PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-56289 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Braun, U. T1 - Thermoanalytical methods to measure mass in microplastics N2 - The talk adresses the use of thermoanalytical methods in microplastics analysis. T2 - EUROLAB webinar: MICROPLASTICS: regulations, standards and the role of laboratories CY - Online meeting DA - 15.02.2023 KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Thermoanalytical methods KW - Microplastic mass PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57009 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Release of synthetic fibres during washing of typical household textiles: Findings from washing machine tests and resulting policy recommendations N2 - This talk summarizes the experimental setup and the results of one washing experiment under realistic conditions according to microplastic fiber release. T2 - Tackling microplastics in the environment CY - Brussels, Belgium DA - 09.03.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Fibers of textile origin KW - Washing machine KW - Microplastic fibre release PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57204 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Wiesner, Yosri T1 - Metrological Observation of the Stability Performance of Reference Materials for Microplastic Analysis N2 - The formation of microplastic (MP) particles (1-1000 µm) is mostly related to physicochemical degradation processes of macroplastics. Photooxidative damage is often set as the initial degradation process, which leads to embrittlement of the plastics. Mechanical processes then lead to further fragmentation and the formation of MP particles. In the environment, this can be associated with UV exposure through direct radiation from the sun, which leads to radical formation in the polymer systems on the one hand and radical formation of oxygen on the other. The result is material embrittlement usually caused by chain shortening in the polymeric system. Due to specific ecosystem conditions, the damaged polymer is fragmented by erosive, abrasive processes or wave action. According to reference material topic for MP analysis, pristine and artificially weathered polymers are needed. Starting from granulate or macroplastics, these can be pulverised with different techniques, bottled and stored until usage. The bottled powders need to be homogen and stable over a defined time interval regarding to a specific property. This work deals with different polymer types, aged and non-aged. It tries to answer the question under which storage conditions polymers will be stable in particle size. The powders are characterized for chemical composition and shape with FTIR, DSC and SEM. Particle size distribution was measured by laser diffraction with wet and dry dispersion. Artificially pre-aged materials seem to be more vulnerable for further aging and less stable in particle size distribution measurements. T2 - SETAC Dublin– SETAC Europe 33nd Annual Meeting CY - Dublin, Ireland DA - 30.04.2023 KW - Reference material KW - Microplastics KW - Metrological Observation PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57475 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Lukas, M. T1 - Artificial Plastic Ageing as a Framework for Microplastics Ecotoxicity Evaluation N2 - Microplastics are widely distributed in aquatic and terrestrial environments, up to now less is known on toxicological impacts under realistic conditions. Research so far has focused mainly on the impacts on organisms by fresh plastic fragments or beats. However, plastic materials found in the environment are mainly a mixture of different polymers and particularly degraded during aging processes. Although especially oxidized degradation products might escape from plastic materials during aging, there is a lack of information on potentially adverse effects on aquatic biota. The latter is of particular interest as oxidized chemicals become more water soluble due to higher polarity and are more bio-available, therefore. The present study focussed on plastic leachates of polystyrene (PS) and polylactic acid (PLA), which were derived from alternating stress by hydrolysis and UV radiation. Test specimen of PS, PLA or PS/PLA blends (each 50 %) were alternatingly maintained in water at 45 °C for five days and UV radiated at 45 °C for two days, for in total six weeks. Ecotoxicological effects of potentially generated degradation products of plastic materials in the storage water (mineral water, pH: 7.2) were detected by algae growth inhibition tests with Desmodesmus suspicatus and photosystem II inhibition tests with Raphidocelis subcapitata. Results clearly indicate inhibitory effects on algae growth by contaminants in the storage water of stressed plastic materials with increasing growth inhibition of proceeding hydrolysis and UV stress times. Here, different plastics cause variable responses of algal growth. First chemical analyses indicate dissolved monomers and their oxidation products of plastic materials as possible driver of detected ecotoxicological effects, since detected microplastic particles do not seem to harm algae. The existing data highlight the relevance of plastic aging as a framework for microplastic ecotoxicity evaluation and allow a proof of concept. T2 - SETAC 2023 CY - Dublin, Ireland DA - 30.04.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Ecotoxicity KW - Plastic aging KW - Algae growth inhibition tests PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57501 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Miclea, P.-T. T1 - Micro- and nanoplastic particle number and mass-based analysis on a plastic-free size-selective two stage Si membrane filtration cascade N2 - The poster presents a Si wafer filter development as two stage cascade and the adapter for microplastics filtration. T2 - SETAC Europe 2023 CY - Dublin, Ireland DA - 30.04.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Filtration KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R KW - Cascade filtration PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57461 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Miclea, P.-T. T1 - Real-life airborne micro- and nano-plastic particles and fibres on a porous membrane filter system from a textile factory suitable for both: vibrational and mass spectrometry N2 - The poster presents an application of Si wafer filter system on indoor air sampling. A textile factory producing PP fibres was sampled. T2 - SETAC Europe 2023 CY - Dublin, Ireland DA - 30.04.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Polymer 3R KW - Textile fibres KW - Si wafer filter KW - Microplastics sampling PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57462 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Overview of CUSP and PlasticTrace N2 - The presentation summarises the work of CUSP and PlasticTrace EU joint research projects of the last year. T2 - Microplastics Scientific Workshop of PlasticsEurope CY - Amsterdam, The Netherlands DA - 08.05.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Microplastics standardisation KW - Reference materials KW - Polymer 3R PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-57460 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Material Selection Strategy N2 - This poster is a summary of the material used in the PlasticsFatE project. It indicates the strategies for testing of various polymer properties next to each other according to risk and hazard assessment. T2 - CUSP annual meeting and conference CY - Utrecht, Netherlands DA - 12.09.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - CUSP KW - Material selection PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58311 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Current projects in risk assessment and harmonisation N2 - The talk gives an overview about EU projects currently running for risk assessment and harmonisation in microplastic analysis. T2 - Micro- and Nanoplastics CY - Halle (Saale), Germany DA - 01.11.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Harmonisation in microplastics KW - Polymer 3R PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58766 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Visileanu, E. T1 - Methods for the collection and characterization of airborne particles in the textile industry N2 - The presentation summarizes possibilities to sample airborne micro and nanoplastic particles. An example of a textil company is shown. T2 - 5th International Conference on Human Systems Engineering and Design: Future Trends and Applications (IHSED 2023 CY - Dubrovnik, Croatia DA - 27.09.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Polymer 3R KW - Textile company PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58561 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Bewertung der Freisetzung von Mikroplastik aus Sportböden auf Kunststoffbasis N2 - Projektvorstellung "Bewertung der Freisetzung von Mikroplastik aus Sportböden auf Kunststoffbasis": Motivation, Konzept, Umsetzung, erste analytische Ergebnisse der TED-GC/MS T2 - 24. Projekttage der Zukunft Bau Forschungsförderung CY - Bonn, Germany DA - 13.06.2023 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Kunststoffrasen KW - Lysimeter KW - Beschleunigte Alterung PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58441 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Bewertung der Freisetzung von Mikroplastik aus Sportböden auf Kunststoffbasis N2 - Projektvorstellung "Bewertung der Freisetzung von Mikroplastik aus Sportböden auf Kunststoffbasis": Konzept, Umsetzung, erste Mikroplastik-Ergebnisse. T2 - Projektbegleitkreissitzung des Projektes "Ermittlung und Minderung von Mikroplastik- und Schadstoffemissionen von Kunststoffrasen-Sportplätzen (MiMiK)“ CY - Sittensen, Germany DA - 25.09.2023 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Kunststoffrasen KW - Lysimeter KW - Beschleunigte Alterung PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58442 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - van den Berg, A. A1 - Adriaans, K. A1 - Hoppener, E. A1 - Parker, L. A1 - Boersma, A. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Legler, J. A1 - Pieters, R. T1 - Inflammation-related key events stimulated by micro- and nanoplastics N2 - The presence of micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNP) in our environment has raised increasing public and political concern. Increasing evidence suggests that humans are exposed to these MNP, mostly via inhalation or ingestion. The EC-Horizon project POLYRISK (https://polyrisk.science) aims to establish an IATA/AOP-based tiered approach to assess human health risks of MNP. In our research, we focus on assessing immunotoxicological effects of MNP. We have tested a series of primary, secondary, environmentally aged (incubated in River Rine water) and chemically altered MNP for their potential to affect dendritic cells or macrophages. MNP used in this study include primary and weathered PS, secondary PVC, PA, PP (with or without talc) and PE. The secondary PE and PP (w/o talc) particles appeared to have oxidized groups on their surface. Data shows that MNP can be engulfed by macrophages (PMA-stimulated human THP1 cells) and human blood-derived dendritic cells (DCs). The effects of virgin as well as secondary MNP (0, 10 or 100 μg/ml) on THP1 macrophages were limited to decrease of mitochondrial activity (Alamar blue), increase of cellular leakage (LDH), and stimulation of lysosomal activity. None of these MNP stimulated gene expression of NFκB or release of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, TNFα, IL-1β). On the other hand, secondary PP and PE with oxidized surface groups did increase NFκB gene expression and release of cytokines by THP1 macrophages. Virgin and weathered PS particles were tested using DCs, and only weathered PS did stimulate DC activity (increased costimulatory molecules CD83, CD86) and as consequence allogeneic T cells. DC activation appeared to result from environmental contaminants. In conclusion, of all MNPs tested only those that contained active surface groups or environmental components appeared to be immunostimulatory, whereas primary and secondary MNP rather reduced macrophage activity and viability (at relatively high concentrations of 100 μg/ml). Further research is needed to reveal molecular mechanisms and to translate in vitro findings to real-world exposure scenarios. T2 - 58th Congress of the European Societies of Toxicology (EUROTOX 2024) CY - Copenhagen, Denmark DA - 08.09.2024 KW - Micro- and nanoplastic particles (MNP) KW - Human health risks KW - Immunotoxicological effects PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.toxlet.2024.07.052 AN - OPUS4-63363 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Rossi, A T1 - Lactose Tablets as Suitable Microplastics Reference Material to Support Validation Studies and Quality Control N2 - One of the main challenges in validating microplastics detection methods is the lack of suitable reference materials that accurately reflect the properties of interest. To bridge this gap, the EU-funded PlasticTrace project has developed water-soluble tablets containing precisely defined amounts of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) particles. Each tablet includes a specific mass (0.2, 18.5, or 400 µg) and particle count (151 or 1764, measured via Raman spectroscopy). Production follows a rigorous solid-phase dilution process, ensuring high reproducibility and quality control. The PET particles used in these tablets have an average size of approximately 40 µm, with a range between 10 and 200 µm, and an irregular, stone-like shape. All measurements align with ISO/TC 147/SC 2 standardization efforts and adhere to ISO/DIS 16094-2 and ISO/DIS 16094-3. To assess tablet homogeneity, the most widely accepted microplastics detection techniques, i.e. µ-FTIR, µ-Raman, Py-GC/MS, and TED-GC/MS, were applied. Different batches were produced, each containing varying particle numbers and masses, reaching the detection limits of the methods used. The results demonstrated excellent consistency between tablets, successfully passing homogeneity tests. Furthermore, no significant changes were observed in the tablets' composition or stability after six months of storage. This innovative reference material represents an important advancement in microplastics analysis, supporting laboratories in meeting EU Commission requirements for the monitoring of microplastics in drinking water and wastewater with greater accuracy and reliability. The production process can be transferred for other plastic particles is this size range. T2 - BERM 16 CY - Halifax, Canada DA - 01.06.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Reference materials KW - Raman microscopy PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63403 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Fernández-González, V. T1 - Innovations in Microplastic Measurement: A Pyrolysis Approach for a Polyethylene Terephthalate Reference Material N2 - In the framework of the PlasticTrace project, in which a reference material for PET microplastics will be proposed, a method using pyrolysis and gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry detection (Py-GC-MS) is developed to quantify the mass of PET microplastics (10-100 µm) in tablets at two different concentration levels. The overall aim of this project is to develop international metrological capacity that enables the traceable measurement and characterization of SMPs and NPs in environmental and food samples and the production of suitable reference materials, according to the metrological requirements (https://plastictrace.eu/). The proposed method consists of dissolving the tablet containing the PET microplastics in milli-Q water and filtering the solution using a glass microfiber membrane 13 mm filter size, 1.6 µm pore size. After filtering and several washes to ensure complete dissolution of the tablet and recovery of all PET microplastics, the filter is removed, folded, and placed in a capsule of the pyrolyzer for direct Py-GC/MS analysis. Two main markers were selected for PET quantification: vinyl benzoate and benzoic acid, with consistent concentrations found for both at high PET concentrations (≈400 µg) (24% RSD, n=17), but interferences with the matrix and vinyl benzoate were found at low concentrations (≈17 µg PET), with only benzoic acid being valid as a marker in this case (22% RSD, n=10). As an alternative to the quantification of PET microplastics in tablets at low concentrations, derivatization is proposed, for which tetramethylammonium hydroxide solution (TMAH) is added directly into the pyrolysis cap. The PET marker in this case is dimethyl terephthalate, with which good results have also been found (19.6% RSD, n=10 ). The proposed method is robust, simple, with high automation and very little sample handling and treatment, and allows the analysis of PET microplastics (>10 µm) in tablets with excellent accuracy and precision even at very low concentrations. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Nanoplastics KW - GC/MS PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63383 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kühnel, D. T1 - Micro and nanoplastics (MNP) a wish list for reliable determination of the risks for humans N2 - The assessment of risks to human health from micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) and their associated chemicals is hampered by significant uncertainties and data gaps regarding human exposure, biological fate and potential health effects. There is also a notable lack of validated test MNPs, natural particles to serve as reference controls, and lack of harmonised toxicological assessment methods specifically designed for the unique properties of MNPs. These limitations contribute to data scarcity and further complicate exposure and hazard assessment for MNP and their associated chemicals. The European research cluster CUSP (https://cusp-research.eu/) aims to fill these gaps by providing reliable data and suggests approaches for assessing human exposure and health risks associated with MNPs and their associated chemicals, including contaminants. As part of this initiative, five projects address the health risks of MNPs from different perspectives, focusing on different exposure pathways and health effects. In particular, the PlasticsFatE project (https://www.plasticsfate.eu/) structures the data requirements and developes strategies to overcome both general and material-specific barriers to MNP in hazard and risk assessment. Based on safety research on engineered nanomaterials, which has shown that it is impossible to experimentally test all MNP variants and their chemical mixtures, CUSP emphasises the need for pragmatic approaches. These approaches aim to effectively utilize knowledge from nanomaterial research, emphasize the reuse of generated data on fate and effects of MNPs, as well as identify and address data and knowledge gaps along with uncertainties, while considering the specific properties of MNPs and test approaches. This poster provides a structured overview of the current challenges in the risk assessment of micro- and nanoplastics and introduces the first step of categorising the different types of obstacles. Specific strategies to overcome these different types of challenges will be presented. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Nanoplastics PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63385 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Booth, A. T1 - Production of a 1-10 μm polypropylene reference material for development of analytical methods N2 - The poster is about the preparation of microplastics in the size range of 1-10 µm. These size range of particles can be inhalded and therefore be toxic for humans. The preparation is done by comminution of PP pellets and sieving. Characterisation occured for size with laser diffraction, for type with FTIR and for shape with SEM. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63367 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Miclea, P.-T. T1 - Novel laser pre-structured silicon filters for microplastics analysis N2 - This research presents a novel laser-assisted approach to silicon filter fabrication, offering an effective alternative to traditional photolithographic processes. By integrating selective femtosecond laser irradiation with photoelectrochemical etching, we achieved precisely controlled pore geometries, overcoming common challenges in filter production for microplastic and nanoscale filtration suitable for microplastic number and mass analysis. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Nanoplastics KW - Raman microspectroscopy PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63384 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Putzu, Mara T1 - Optimization of production process for microplastics reference materials N2 - Microplastics (MP) are defined as plastic particles mainly consisting of polymers in the size range of 1 to 1000 µm. They can be found in a wide range of environmental matrices but also in food products, indicating a potential risk on humans and environment. Plastic debris in the environment or food chain are extremely complex in terms of size, concentration, polymer type, levels of physiochemical degradation and undefined morphologies which makes their isolation and detection in complex matrices challenging. Analytical detection methods and techniques to identify and quantify microplastics in environmental and food matrices are numerous but validated and standardized methods are currently lacking. To close this research gap, reference materials (RMs) and representative sample preparation approaches are urgently needed. Homogeneity and stability are two crucial characteristics for the certification process of the reference materials. For this purpose, we aim to present ways to prepare reference materials containing very low masses of close-to reality plastic particles with broad size distribution (10-100 µm) that are homogeneously distributed in tablet-to-tablet variation and stable over time. Our work is based on the ISO Guide 30:2015 and ISO Guide 35:2017 to fulfil the criteria set in future standards ISO/DIS 16094-2 and ISO/DIS 16094-3. The property of interest will be the mass detected by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Furthermore, informative values will be achieved by mass-based technique TED-GC/MS and spectroscopic microscopy techniques, such as µ-FTIR spectroscopy and µ-Raman. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials KW - TED-GC/MS PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63386 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ryll, Tom William T1 - In-situ analysis of nucleation processes – case study: calcium sulfate N2 - In this project we investigate nucleation pathways by utilizing synchrotron-XRD and running a case-study on calcium sulfate phases. To accomplish this, we developed a modular automation setup for reactions in solution to run synthesis and control reaction conditions. So far we successfully characterized the recycling process of gypsum and are now investigating the formation of anhydrite. T2 - BESSY@HZB User Meeting CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 02.12.2025 KW - Recycling KW - Gypsum KW - Synchrotron-X-ray-diffraction KW - Raman-spectroscopy KW - Automation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65344 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Jaffer, Yousuf Dar A1 - Abdolahpur Monikh, Fazel A1 - Nguyen, Nhung H.A. A1 - Sevcu, Alena A1 - Abdulkadir, Nafiu A1 - Raha, Jakub A1 - Katsumiti, Alberto A1 - Bilbao, Ainhoa A1 - Altman, Korinna A1 - Grossart, Hans-Peter T1 - Bio-based microplastics increase the horizontal transfer of antibiotic resistance genes in aquatic environments N2 - The role of microplastics as vectors for horizontal gene transfer (HGT) of antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) is increasingly recognized. This study investigated whether bio-based microplastics, often promoted as environmentally friendly alternatives, exhibit similar or enhanced HGT potential compared to conventional plastics. We examined the HGT rates of the trimethoprim resistance gene (dfrA1) and tetracycline resistance gene (tetA), carried on a broad-host-range plasmid, among Escherichia coli (donor) and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Pseudomonas sp., or a natural lake microbial community (recipients). Four bio-based polymer types—polylactic acid (PLA) granules, commercial PLA, high-density polyethylene (HDPE) granules, and poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV)- were compared with two conventional microplastics, polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and bottle-derived HDPE. The bio-based microplastics exhibited significantly higher HGT frequencies, with a 21–48-fold increase compared to control chitosan in single-strain experiments and a 13-fold increase within the lake microbial community. 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing revealed distinct bacterial community compositions colonizing different microplastic types in the lake water. The transconjugant communities, indicative of successful HGT events, were strongly influenced by microplastic type. While Nannocystis was generally dominant, the PLA (granule) microplastic exhibited a unique profile dominated by Candidatus Megaira and Niveispirillum. Additionally, Flavobacterium and Fluviicola were uniquely detected as transconjugants on HDPE (granule). These findings demonstrate that bioplastics have a significant influence on the selective enrichment of specific transconjugant genera, suggesting a prominent role of microplastics, particularly bio-based plastics, in shaping ARG dissemination within complex microbial ecosystems. We recommend a comprehensive risk assessment of bio-based plastics, particularly their potential to enhance the spread of ARGs, before their widespread implementation in consumer products. KW - Microplastics KW - Bioplastics KW - Conventional plastics KW - Antibiotik resistence gene PY - 2026 UR - https://nbn-resolving.org/urn:nbn:de:kobv:b43-656293 DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2026.100613 SN - 2452-0748 VL - 41 SP - 1 EP - 10 PB - Elsevier B.V. AN - OPUS4-65629 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Herzel, Hannes T1 - Thermochemische P-Rückgewinnungsverfahren in Deutschland zur Düngerproduktion N2 - Die Firma Emter GmbH betreibt die Klärschlammverbrennungsanlage Altenstadt und hat in die bestehende Monoverbrennung einen thermochemischen Prozess integriert, um hochwirksame und schadstoffarme Düngemittel aus Klärschlamm herzustellen. Die Anlage ist aktuell die größte Phosphorrecyclinganlage in Deutschland mit der die Vorgaben der AbfKlärV bereits frühzeitig umgesetzt werden. Das Projekt R-Rhenania begleitet die Phosphorrecyclinganlage mit Untersuchungen zur Produktqualität, mit Gefäßversuchen und Feldversuchen im ökologischen Landbau, mit Ökobilanzierung und der Konfektionierung verschiedener Düngemittelprodukte. Viele Klärschlammaschen haben geringe Schwermetallgehalte und sind geeignet durch vergleiche thermochemische Prozesse behandelt zu werden. Mit den Daten aus dem Klärschlammasche-Monitoring der BAM können die Potentiale für die Verwertung der Aschen in den thermochemischen Prozessen wie AshDec oder CaNaPhos abgeschätzt werden. T2 - DWA Klärschlammnetzwerk Nord-Ost CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 21.01.2026 KW - Phosphor KW - Recycling KW - Thermochemisch KW - Großtechnik PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65611 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Seifert, Lando T1 - Grundlagen Korrosion und Korrosionsschutz N2 - Im Rahmen des jungen gfkorr Events an der Universität Kassel in diesem Jahr wurde der Grundlagenvortrag vor Young Professionals und Studierenden vorgestellt. Die BAM beschäftigt sich im Fachbereich 7.6 schwerpunktmäßig mit der Korrosionsprüfung, den Korrosionsschäden und -reaktionen rund um Anwendungsfälle der Hauptkonstruktionswerkstoffe Stahl, verzinkter Stahl, Nichtrostende Stähle und Aluminium in relevanten Umgebungsbedingungen. Der Impulsvortrag sollte die Faszination für die Korrosion übermitteln. Dabei wurde anhand von Schadensfällen grundlegende Mechanismen und Haupteinflussfaktoren erörtert. Gestartet wurde mit einem prominenten Versagensfall und Beispiel für Spaltkorrosion aus der Luftfahrt... T2 - die junge gfkorr @ Universität Kassel CY - Kassel, Germany DA - 02.03.2026 KW - Korrosion KW - Korrosionsschutz KW - Stahl KW - Zink KW - Aluminium KW - Nichtrostende Stähle KW - Korrosivität KW - Spaltkorrosion PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65614 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Lohrke, Heiko T1 - Combined GNSS/Visual Inter-Robot Tracking Method for Open-Path Gas Tomography N2 - Methane emissions are a significant environmental and safety concern, yet many gas tomography systems intended to measure them require manual alignment, reliable high-bandwidth links, or fiducials. We present a lightweight, fully autonomous framework enabling line-of-sight inter-robot Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy (TDLAS) measurements without such constraints. A sensor robot equipped with a gimbal-mounted TDLAS unit tracks a reflector robot bearing an illuminated, color-controllable target. Coarse localization is achieved via RTK-GNSS, with vision-based fine tracking and passive time synchronization handled onboard. The system, based on off-the-shelf Pixhawk controllers and ArduPilot firmware, was validated in a 15m × 7m outdoor trial. Despite GNSS inaccuracies and deliberate occlusion by a methane-filled bag, the system retained lock, recovered from visual loss in under one second, and captured a 2800 ppm·m plume signature. These results demonstrate robust, scalable methane sensing for mobile gas tomography or standalone leak detection. Core components are released open-source to support future deployment. T2 - IEEE SENSORS 2025 CY - Vancouver, BC, Canada DA - 19.10.2025 KW - Gas tomography KW - Tracking KW - Robot KW - Methane KW - TDLAS PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-65617 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Schlegel, Moritz-Caspar T1 - Die Ökodesign-Rahmenverordnung - Produkteffizienz neu gedacht N2 - Die Präsentation fasst das europäische Verständnis für den Begriff "Produkteffizienz" und die diesbezügliche Entwicklungen der vergangenen Jahre zusammen. Es wird eine Verbindung zwischen Rechtssetzung, Normung und Forschung hergestellt und entsprechende Beiträge zur der Transformation von einer linearen- zu einer zirkulären Wirtschaft (Circular Economy) erörtert. T2 - DIN-Mitgliederdialog CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 03.03.2026 KW - Circular economy KW - Product efficiency KW - Normung KW - Ecodesign KW - Policymaking PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65631 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Vogel, Christian T1 - Investigating the Thermal Decomposition of PFAS in a Full-Scale Commercial Hazardous Waste Incinerator N2 - Effective and safe treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-laden waste in full-scale hazardous waste facilities is currently the only commercial method for large-scale PFAS destruction, but concerns remain about incomplete combustion and harmful byproducts. Therefore, the fate of fluorine during incineration was investigated in a full-scale hazardous waste incinerator to assess the viability and potential risks of this method. The project involves developing advanced analytical tools, including real-time infrared spectroscopy, and conducting trial burns under varied conditions. Conditions that influence incineration performance are identified, analyzing for products of incomplete destruction (PIDs), exploring the role of fly ash and surfaces in PFAS breakdown, and evaluating the potential formation of polyfluorinated dioxins and furans. Collectively, these tasks aim to deliver practical tools and guidance for scientists and engineers, while informing policymakers and the public on the benefits and potential risks of PFAS incineration. T2 - DoW Applied Innovation Workshop CY - Washington, DC, USA DA - 02.03.2026 KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Incineration PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65638 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Miclea, Paul T1 - Microanalysis of Airborne Nano/Microplastic Particles in an Textile Industrial Environment N2 - Micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) are emerging global contaminants, present in air, soil, and water. The textile industry is potentially a major contributor, releasing synthetic particles like polyamide, polyester, and acrylic during production. This study assessed MNP levels outside and inside a textile-processing facility using online air samplers with silicon (Si) and quartz filters. Real-time particle counts (PM0.3–PM10) were obtained via a laser detector. Si filters (9 mm, 10/1 µm pores) and quartz filters (25 mm, 1.2 µm pores, pre-calcined at 800°C) were used for sampling. Custom holders allowed selective sampling for PM10 and PM1 on Si filters. Sampling conditions included a 3-hour collection at 2 L/min (GilAir Plus pump) starting at 7:00 AM (T1) and 2:00 PM (T2), with intermittent ventilation, 23.3 °C average temperature, and 52.5% humidity. Particle weights collected (µg) were: quartz – 4.9E-05 (T1), 5.1E-05 (T2); Si – 3.2E-05 (T1), 5E-06 (T2). Outside particle counts ranged from 3,584 (T1) to 15,165 (T2); inside: 9,901 (T1) to 12,921 (T2). Maximum indoor PM10 and PM0.3 levels were 72/m³ and 71,979/m³, respectively. Particles were analyzed using electron microscopy and µRaman spectroscopy, confirming high concentrations of irregularly shaped PP-based particles (1–5 µm). T2 - 12th TEXTEH CY - Bucharest, Romania DA - 23.10.2025 KW - Microplastics KW - Airborne particles KW - Raman microspectroscopy PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64485 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Monikh, F. A. A1 - Baun, A. A1 - Hartmann, N. B. A1 - Kortet, R. A1 - Akkanen, J. A1 - Lee, J.-S. A1 - Shi, H. A1 - Lahive, E. A1 - Uurasjärvi, E. A1 - Tufenkji, N. A1 - Altmann, Korinna A1 - Wiesner, Yosri A1 - Grossart, H.-P. A1 - Peijnenburg, W. A1 - Kukkonen, J. V. K. T1 - Exposure protocol for ecotoxicity testing of microplastics and nanoplastics N2 - Despite the increasing concern about the harmful effects of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), there are no harmonized guidelines or protocols yet available for MNP ecotoxicity testing. Current ecotoxicity studies often use commercial spherical particles as models for MNPs, but in nature, MNPs occur in variable shapes, sizes and chemical compositions. Moreover, protocols developed for chemicals that dissolve or form stable dispersions are currently used for assessing the ecotoxicity of MNPs. Plastic particles, however, do not dissolve and also show dynamic behavior in the exposure medium, depending on, for example, MNP physicochemical properties and the medium’s conditions such as pH and ionic strength. Here we describe an exposure protocol that considers the particle-specific properties of MNPs and their dynamic behavior in exposure systems. Procedure 1 describes the top-down production of more realistic MNPs as representative of MNPs in nature and particle characterization (e.g., using thermal extraction desorption-gas chromatography/mass spectrometry). Then, we describe exposure system development for short- and long-term toxicity tests for soil (Procedure 2) and aquatic (Procedure 3) organisms. Procedures 2 and 3 explain how to modify existing ecotoxicity guidelines for chemicals to target testing MNPs in selected exposure systems. We show some examples that were used to develop the protocol to test, for example, MNP toxicity in marine rotifers, freshwater mussels, daphnids and earthworms. The present protocol takes between 24 h and 2 months, depending on the test of interest and can be applied by students, academics, environmental risk assessors and industries. KW - Microplastics KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Cryo milling PY - 2023 DO - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41596-023-00886-9 SN - 1754-2189 SP - 1 EP - 38 PB - Nature Protocols AN - OPUS4-58557 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - ILC on Laser diffraction - preliminary results N2 - This presentation addresses an interlaboratory comparison on size of polymeric particles (microplastics) measured by laser diffraction. Two microplastic particles were measured separately and once as mixture. Evaluation was done with Fraunhofer and Mie. Here, the first results are presented. T2 - CUSP Annual Meeting CY - Utrecht, Netherlands DA - 12.09.2023 KW - Microplastics KW - Laser diffraction KW - Polymer 3R KW - Size distribution KW - Polymer size PY - 2023 AN - OPUS4-58318 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Drexel, R. T1 - Nano-sized Polypropylene as a Promising Candidate Reference Material: Preparation, Characterization and Stability in Complex Matrices N2 - The lack of nanoplastic (NPs) reference materials capable of mimicking real-world scenarios is currently hampering the development of validated extraction techniques from complex matrices (e.g. soils, sediments, biota), the development of analytical approaches for robust identification and quantification, and the ability to use environmentally relevant test materials in (eco)toxicity testing and hazard assessment [1]. The large body of available data suggests that larger microplastics (MPs) in the natural environment are irregular shaped, partially degraded (chemically and physically), a continuum of sizes, shapes and densities, represent a wide range of polymer types, and acts as a reservoir for thousands of plastic chemicals. Although NPs have been described as being neither MPs nor engineered nanoparticles [2], and while direct measurement data of true NP in the environment remain elusive, they are expected to be as equally diverse as MPs [3]. Here, we present a strategy towards the development of a potential NP reference material based on nano-sized polyproplyene particles (nanoPP) developed within the EURAMET-funded PlasticTrace project (https://plastictrace.eu/). The strategy includes the preparation, the physicochemical characterization and the stability assessment of nanoPP in suspension both in its pristine state, but also when spiked into food (mineral water and milk) and environmental matrices (suspended particulate matter collected from the river Elbe ). Collected experimental data suggests nanoPP to be a promising candidate for a NP reference material. T2 - SETAC Europe 2025 CY - Vienna, Austria DA - 11.05.2025 KW - Nanoplastics KW - Reference materials PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-63382 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Validation of microplastics detection methods and proficiency testing: Suitable microplastic reference materials for interlaboratory comparison N2 - The talk summarizes challenges in microplastic analysis. It shows the preparation of microplastic reference materials as well as the testing on homogeneity and stability. The reference material is used in an international laboratory comparison to compare different detection methods used for microplastic analysis. The methods used were µ-IR (FTIR+LDIR) for number-based methods and TED-GC/MS and Py-GC/MS for mass-based methods. The ILC was done under the umbrella of VAMAS TWA 45. Results of the participants are presented. T2 - BAM Akademie CY - Online meeting DA - 16.05.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials KW - ILC KW - Microplastics detection KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60085 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Mikroplastik Detektion mit Thermoanalytischen Methoden: Analytik, Referenzmaterial, Ringversuche N2 - Ich dem Vortrag geht es um die Vorstellung von thermoanalytischen Methoden für die Mikroplastik-Detektion. Verschiedene Kopplungsmöglichkeiten werden gezeigt und die Funktionsweise der TED-GC/MS wird erklärt. Im zweiten Teil werden Referenzmaterialien für die Mikroplastik-Analytik diskutiert. PET -Tabletten des PlasticTrace Projektes werden vorgestellt. Am Ende wird der VAMAS Ringversuch zur Mikroplastik-Detektion gezeigt. T2 - Plastik, Mikroplastik, Nanopartikel, PFAS und Verunreinigungen (Agilent Workshop) CY - Hamburg, Germany DA - 28.05.2024 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R KW - Ringversuche KW - Referenzmaterial PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60155 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Giovannozzi, A T1 - Metrological traceability of measurement data from nano- to small microplastics for a greener environment and food safety N2 - This talk descibes the EMPIR project PlasticTrace. Reference materials for microplastics will be developed. The production process and characterisation is explained by SEM, Raman, IR, Py-GC/MS and TED-GC/MS. Homogeneity control was successful. Stability check show no changes over 6 month. T2 - SETAC Europe 2024 CY - Sevilla, Spain DA - 05.05.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Reference materials KW - Polymer 3R KW - TED-GC/MS PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60033 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Drago, C. T1 - Standardization Methods for the Analysis of Microplastics (10 100µm) in Food Matrix: Sample Preparation and Digestion of Milk Powder. N2 - Monitoring of microplastics in food matrices is crucial to determinate the human exposure. By direct ingestion microplastics could be released in the food during the production, through packaging and by consumer’s use. The absence of standard methods to quantify and detect different size range and type of microplastics has led to difficult and time consuming procedural steps, poor accuracy and lack of comparability. In this work, matrix characterization and laboratory experiments were used to investigate the efficiency of sample preparation in milk powder. This information is crucial to compile a standard procedure for sample preparation and digestion of common milk powder to detect different particle sizes and types of polymers. Charaterisation is done by TGA and TOC measurements. T2 - SETAC Europe 2024 CY - Sevilla, Spain DA - 05.05.2024 KW - Microplastics KW - Harmonisation in microplastics KW - Polymer 3R KW - Microplastics in milk PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-60034 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Vogel, Christian T1 - Investigating the Thermal Decomposition of PFAS in a Full-Scale Commercial Hazardous Waste Incinerator (SERDP ER24-4073) N2 - Effective and safe treatment of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS)-laden waste in full-scale hazardous waste facilities is currently the only commercial method for large-scale PFAS destruction, but concerns remain about incomplete combustion and harmful byproducts. Therefore, the fate of fluorine during incineration was investigated in a full-scale hazardous waste incinerator to assess the viability and potential risks of this method. The project involves developing advanced analytical tools, including real-time infrared spectroscopy, and conducting trial burns under varied conditions. Conditions that influence incineration performance are identified, analyzing for products of incomplete destruction (PIDs), exploring the role of fly ash and surfaces in PFAS breakdown, and evaluating the potential formation of polyfluorinated dioxins and furans. Collectively, these tasks aim to deliver practical tools and guidance for scientists and engineers, while informing policymakers and the public on the benefits and potential risks of PFAS incineration. T2 - DoW Applied Innovation Workshop CY - Washington, DC, USA DA - 02.03.2026 KW - Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) KW - Incineration PY - 2026 AN - OPUS4-65639 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Update – Milling and weathering of granules N2 - The talk aims to describe the production of microplastic particles as test material and the additional weathering for aged particles. T2 - PlasticsFate meeting CY - Online meeting DA - 12.11.2021 KW - Microplastic KW - Cryo milling KW - Aged particles PY - 2021 AN - OPUS4-53737 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Kittner, Maria T1 - Beschleunigung und Hemmung - Komplexe Wechselwirkungen bei der Zersetzung von thermoplastischen PLA/PS-Blends unter realitätsnahen Umweltbedingungen N2 - Mit dem stetigen weltweiten Anstieg der Nachfrage nach Polymerprodukten nimmt auch die potenzielle Menge an Kunststoffabfällen in der Umwelt zu. Problematisch ist, dass viele der wirtschaftlich relevantesten Kunststoffe sehr lange brauchen, um in der Umwelt abzubauen, sich dort akkumulieren und in kritisch betrachtetes Makro- und Mikroplastik zu zerfallen. Auf der Grundlage des Vorsorgeprinzips fordert die Europäische Kommission daher die Entwicklung neuer polymerer Materialien, die diesem Problem der Persistenz entgegenwirken und unter natürlichen Umweltbedingungen schneller abgebaut werden können. 1,2 Um dieses Problem anzusprechen, wurden mittels additiver Fertigung Polymerblends aus photooxidationsempfindlichem Polystyrol (PS) und hydrolyseempfindlicher Polymilchsäure (PLA) hergestellt. Die Hypothese war, dass sich die beiden Thermoplaste aufgrund ihrer unterschiedlichen Abbauprozesse gegenseitig in ihrem Abbau unterstützen, wenn sie unter moderaten, realitätsnahen Umweltalterungsbedingungen (45 °C) abwechselnd der Photooxidation und Hydrolyse ausgesetzt werden. In der Praxis zeigten die Ergebnisse, dass die Degradation von PLA durch die Anwesenheit von PS deutlich beschleunigt worden ist – wohingegen die Degradation von PS gehemmt wurde. In diesem Vortrag werden die detaillierten Ergebnisse der Oberflächen- (ATR-FTIR, REM) und Bulk-Analysen (DSC, TGA, FTIR-Transmission, TED-GC/MS) der Blends sowie ergänzende Mikroplastik-Ergebnisse des umgebenden Wassermediums (TED-GC/MS) erörtert. T2 - 50. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Umweltsimulation (GUS) CY - Online meeting DA - 23.03.2022 KW - Polymerblend KW - PLA KW - Hydrolyse KW - PS KW - Bewitterung KW - UV-Bestrahlung KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Wasser KW - Mikroplastik PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54544 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Plastik in Böden: Mikroplastik-Analytik N2 - Im Vortrag wir eine Methode zur Analyse von Mikroplastik in Böden dargestellt. Es geht dabei um die Probenvorbereitung und Detektion. T2 - Fachgespräch "Plastik in Böden" CY - Online meeting DA - 28.03.2022 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Mikroplastik-Analytik KW - Methodenentwicklung Böden PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54646 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Plastik in Böden: Mikroplastik-Ergebnisse N2 - In diesem Vortrag geht um die Vorstellung der Ergebnisse des UBA Projektes Plastik in Böden. Es werden Mikroplastik-Gehalte in verschiedenen Böden präsentiert. T2 - Fachgespräch "Plastik in Böden" CY - Online meeting DA - 28.03.2022 KW - Mikroplastik KW - Mikroplastik Böden KW - Mikroplastik-Analytik PY - 2022 AN - OPUS4-54648 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Ryll, Tom William T1 - In-situ analysis of nucleation processes – case study: calciumsulfate N2 - In this project we investigate nucleation pathways by utilizing synchrotron-XRD and running a case-study on calcium sulfate and its polymorphs. To accomplish this, we developed a modular automation setup for reactions in solution to run synthesis and control reaction conditions. So far we successfully characterized the recycling process of gypsum (CaSO4*2H2O) and are now investigating the formation of anhydrite (CaSO4*0H2O) as well as possible applications for the automation setup and analysis. T2 - SALSA Make & Measure 2025 CY - Berlin, Germany DA - 10.09.2025 KW - Recycling KW - Gypsum KW - Synchrotron-X-ray-diffraction KW - Raman-spectroscopy KW - Automation PY - 2025 AN - OPUS4-64138 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Parthasarathy, Thiyagaraj A1 - Bhattacharya, Biswajit A1 - Emmerling, Franziska A1 - Ghosh, Soumyajit T1 - Design of mechanically flexible photoresponsive cyanostilbene molecular crystals N2 - Photoresponsive molecular crystals have sparked interest owing to their potential application prospects. In this study, we achieved dual mechanical responses of a cyanostilbene-based crystal BN. The crystal exhibited both stress-induced mechanical flexibility and light-induced photomechanical bending. Two distinct mechanical responses are related to different underlying phenomena and were not interlinked. While elasticity is attributed to criss-cross packing arrangement in the isotropic structure, photomechanical bending is attributed to the formation of heterogeneous phase distribution due to monomer to dimer cycloaddition product formation. The crystal did not demonstrate photoswitching activity. However, it exhibited thermal reversibility, highlighting reversible dimer to monomer conversion. KW - Flexible KW - Molecular crystals PY - 2024 DO - https://doi.org/10.1039/D4CE00571F VL - 26 SP - 4634 EP - 4642 PB - Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) AN - OPUS4-60888 LA - eng AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER - TY - CONF A1 - Altmann, Korinna T1 - Mikroplastik heute: Was haben wir in den letzten Jahren erreicht? N2 - In diesem Vortrag geht es um eine Übersicht über die Thematik der Mikroplastik, Was ist Mikroplastik, wie entsteht es und wo kommt es her. Es wird beschrieben wie eine repräsentative Probenahme erfolgen kann und wie welche Herausforderungen bei der Probenvorbereitung existieren. Die Detektion wird ausführlich beschrieben, sowohl mit Partikelanzahl als auch Masse. Im weiteren werden erste Referenzmaterialien und ihre Anwendung in internationalen Ringversuchen beschrieben. Der zweite Teil zeigt die Normungsaktivitäten im Bereich der Mikroplastik. T2 - Mitgliederversammlung der GdCh Lackchemie CY - Online Meeting DA - 20.09.2024 KW - Mikroplastik KW - TED-GC/MS KW - Polymer 3R KW - Reference material KW - ILC on detection methods PY - 2024 AN - OPUS4-61087 LA - deu AD - Bundesanstalt fuer Materialforschung und -pruefung (BAM), Berlin, Germany ER -