A member of our team, Vania Ruiz, participated in the GDR PES (French Research Group on Plastics, Environment, and Health) meeting in Marseille, where she presented a novel protocol for enhancing microplastic sampling efficiency using in situ filtration instrumentation estuarine environments.
During the session « Occurrence of Plastics in Different Environmental Compartments: Diagnostics and Quantification », Vania described the planning and laboratory tests conducted to design a new protocol specifically adapted to hyperturbid estuarine environments and its implementation in the Gironde estuary (SW France).
The innovative aspect of the protocol includes the use of an Ascension autosampler, which reduces sample contamination and ensures the collection of representative water volumes. Vania also had the opportunity to engage with experts in the microplastic research community and learn about their ongoing research on the effects of plastic pollution on the environment and health.
