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EI‐GEO environmental impact of geosynthetics in aquatic systems
Summary
This multinational research project (EI-GEO) investigated whether geosynthetics used in hydraulic engineering applications such as riverbank stabilization and dam construction release microplastics or other contaminants into aquatic environments. Researchers found that geosynthetic materials can degrade and release particles under aquatic conditions, potentially contributing to microplastic pollution. The project fills a knowledge gap on geosynthetics as a previously overlooked source of environmental plastic contamination.
EI‐GEO is a multinational research project (Germany, Latvia, Russia) funded under the ERA.Net RUS Plus Call 2017. Aim of the project is the investigation whether geosynthetics in hydraulic engineering applications could be a source of microplastics (MPs) and other contaminants to the aquatic environment causing negative effects to aquatic organisms. Whereas the behavior of geosynthetics in landfill engineering is well studied and documented since decades, little is known on application in applications such as coastal protection or ballast layers for wind energy plants. However, due to the rapid expansion of offshore wind energy, rising water levels and more extreme weather conditions as a result of climate change more and more hydraulic engineering projects will be realized in the future. Applied methods are artificial ageing of geosynthetics in environmental simulation chambers, storage of samples under environmental condition for comparison with laboratory simulation, sample characterization by microscopic methods and ecotoxicological testing of water in contact with geosynthetics. In parallel a case study at the Baltic Sea shore at Kaliningrad Oblast (Russia) will be performed. The aim of study is to estimate the level of pollution of the beaches by geosynthetic debris and identify the possible sources.