Webinar – The Prevalence of Microplastics in our Environment: What We Know, How We Measure, and Why Quality Matters
Australasian Land & Groundwater Association (ALGA)
About this session
This webinar examines the widespread presence of microplastics in the environment, covering their detection in air, water, soils, food and drinking water. It addresses sources, distribution, potential impacts on human and environmental health, and the challenges in measuring microplastics through standardised analytical approaches and quality assurance procedures.
Event Overview
The widespread presence of microplastics in the environment has become an increasing focus of scientific research, regulatory attention and public concern. Microplastics have been detected in air, water, soils, food and drinking water, raising important questions about their sources, distribution and potential impacts on human and environmental health.
Key Topics
Understanding how microplastics are measured is equally important. Analytical approaches continue to evolve, yet significant challenges remain in generating reliable, comparable and defensible data. Differences in sampling, laboratory methods and quality assurance procedures can influence results, making standardisation a key priority.
Focus Areas
Atmospheric microplastics are an emerging area of study, with growing recognition that airborne transport may contribute to the widespread distribution of plastic particles across urban, rural and remote environments. International regulators are moving towards greater scrutiny of microplastics.