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Marine Microlitter and Microplastic Quality Assurance and Quality Control - Towards a large scale approach
Summary
This study examines quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) approaches for marine microlitter and microplastic monitoring at large scale, addressing contamination risks during sampling and analysis, uncertainties in material identification, and the lack of reference materials and proficiency testing schemes needed to produce comparable data across monitoring programs.
Marine Microlitter, including microplastic, is considered by multiple policy frameworks as a pollutant that requires mitigation measures. These measures will need to consider quantitative environmental assessments. The frameworks include the European Union Marine Strategy Framework Directive, the Regional Sea Conventions and also the Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution. While microlitter monitoring guidance has become available and is being implemented, still the quality of data requires attention. Contamination during the sampling and analytical process can alter results, uncertainties of material determination and quantification are often difficult to assess, leading possibly to non-comparable data.The availability of QA/QC approaches, reference materials, proficiency testing schemes and contamination avoidance concepts has been investigated together with an expert community and an overview will be provided. From an analysis of data quality needs and tools, recommendations for ensuring appropriate quality of microlitter (incl. microplastic) data will be provided. The collaborative approach at large scale will enable the coordinated uptake of the recommendations in different policy frameworks, including at global scale.
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