We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
African implementation of harmonized operational protocols for microplastics in beach sand and surface seawater under the IAEA NUTEC plastic initiative
Summary
This paper describes implementation of harmonized microplastic monitoring protocols in African countries through the IAEA NUTEC Plastics initiative, covering beach sand and seawater sampling aligned with the UN SDG 14 monitoring framework. The four-year regional project built analytical capacity across African institutions and generated baseline data for marine plastic pollution levels.
Plastic pollution is a significant environmental issue, with plastics comprising a large portion of municipal and industrial waste. These materials do not decompose easily, leading to severe environmental problems. A four-year project under the African Regional Cooperative Agreement for Research, Development, and Training Related to Nuclear Science and Technology (AFRA) is aligned with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, which aims to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas, and marine resources. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 14, focused on life below water, through the target 14.1, urges nations to prevent and significantly decrease marine pollution, particularly from land-based activities, including marine litter by 2025; and through the target 14.a, to increase scientific knowledge, develop research capacity and transfer marine technology, to improve ocean health and to enhance the contribution of marine biodiversity to the development of developing countries. The regional project builds on previous International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) projects and national programs, aiming to enhance the capabilities of member states to monitor microplastics (0.3 – 5mm) in beach sand and surface seawater. The project involves collaboration among member states with varying levels of expertise, fostering knowledge transfer and capacity building. Key activities include project setup, harmonizing national programs with the project’s objectives, and developing training and capacity-building. Sampling and laboratory kits are standardized, and a common protocol is used by all member states to generate data. These efforts aim to create a regional network of laboratories equipped to monitor and assess plastic pollution to supply UN SDG with comparable data for 16 African countries. This regional project is part of an IAEA inter-regional project which aims to provide comparable microplastics data to UN SDG14.1.1.b, currently from 99 countries. The harmonised protocols of IAEA for microplastics (0.3 – 5mm) for UN SDG reporting and the progress made within the African region are presented here.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Development of harmonized operational protocols for the collection, identification and counting of microplastics within the IAEA NUTEC Plastics initiative
This paper describes the development of harmonized protocols for collecting, identifying, and counting microplastics under the IAEA NUTEC Plastics initiative, designed to enable comparable data across countries. The protocols cover seawater surface, beach sand, and biota sampling using nuclear and complementary analytical techniques.
The Caribbean Microplastics problem; harmonization of protocols through the IAEA.
This paper describes efforts by the IAEA NUTEC Plastics project to harmonize microplastic monitoring protocols across Caribbean countries, building regional capacity for standardized data collection and analysis. Participating countries established baseline contamination data using shared methods, enabling cross-country comparisons in a region where previous monitoring was highly fragmented.
IAEA-NUTEC plastics initiative: Contributing to the global understanding of microplastic pollution in the ocean
This review examines the IAEA NUTEC Plastics initiative, a global network spanning 86 countries launched in 2019 to harmonize microplastic monitoring methods in marine and coastal environments, build national research capacity, and support achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14.1 on reducing marine pollution.
IAEA-NUTEC plastics initiative: Contributing to the global understanding of microplastic pollution in the ocean
This review examines the IAEA NUTEC Plastics initiative, a global network spanning 86 countries launched in 2019 to harmonize microplastic monitoring methods in marine and coastal environments, build national research capacity, and support achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 14.1 on reducing marine pollution.
IAEA-NUTEC Plastics Initiative: Advancing Global Understanding of Microplastic Pollution in the Ocean
This study describes the IAEA-NUTEC Plastics initiative, which is establishing a coordinated network of laboratories in over 100 countries to implement standardized microplastic sampling and analysis protocols, using radiometric and advanced technologies to improve the accuracy and cross-regional comparability of ocean microplastic data.