EPA Research Partner Support Story: Resources and education for understanding microplastics
Partner: Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council (ITRC)
Challenge: Need for improved understanding of the current science regarding microplastics
Resources: Microplastics Online Guidance Document, web-based training, and Microplastics Outreach Toolkit
Project Period: 2021 ‒ 2024
Microplastics are ubiquitous in our environment and are considered a contaminant of emerging concern due to its potential threat to human health and the environment. Microplastics are tiny plastic pieces less than 5 millimeters in size which can be found in various sources. Microplastics can be categorized as primary (intentionally added or fit for use) such as in cosmetics and fertilizer pellets, or secondary (produced through the breakdown of larger microplastics) such as from plastic packaging and fibers shed from clothing. Microplastics have been introduced to the environment over the last 50 years through their use in consumer products and industrial practices, as well as through plastic refuse, which has been broken down and entered the waste stream. Exposure to microplastics has the potential to harm wildlife, ecosystems, and human health by accumulating in the environment and entering the food chain.
“The Microplastics Toolkit provides materials that can be used to help explain microplastics to diverse audiences, from upper management to the general public. The toolkit will also provide resources regarding effective outreach strategies.” – California DTSC Staff Toxicologist Valerie Hanley (ITRC Microplastics Team Co-Lead)
The ITRC Microplastics Team was formed in 2021 and published its first resource in February 2023, an online Microplastics Guidance Document that provides readers with information on microplastics and the state of the applied science. EPA Office of Research and Development (ORD) researchers provided expertise to the multi-disciplinary team. Written with the state regulator in mind, the technical guidance is also a useful tool for industry members and decision makers, covering topics such as sources and impacts of microplastics, environmental fate and transport, sampling and analysis, best practices for prevention and mitigation, and current policies and regulations. Microplastic research is accelerating rapidly and evolving as technology advances. To assist with the transfer of knowledge, the Microplastics Team developed an Outreach Toolkit published in June 2024 to provide resources for environmental professionals to use in communicating microplastic issues to members of the public.
The Microplastics Team held its first web-based training in March 2023, which uses a conceptual site model to navigate microplastics in the environment and explore areas covered in the Guidance Document. ITRC continues to provide live training on EPA CLU-IN.