NATURE BASED SOLUTIONS

Municipal administrators know about NbS but rarely use them to reduce environmental inequality

Study mapped knowledge of nature-based solutions among municipal staff responsible for projects in 20 Brazilian cities. The survey points to the need to adapt the approach used in the northern hemisphere to local conditions

Peer-Reviewed Publication

FUNDAÇÃO DE AMPARO À PESQUISA DO ESTADO DE SÃO PAULO

 

IMAGE: STUDY MAPPED KNOWLEDGE OF NATURE-BASED SOLUTIONS AMONG MUNICIPAL STAFF RESPONSIBLE FOR PROJECTS IN 20 BRAZILIAN CITIES. THE SURVEY POINTS TO THE NEED TO ADAPT THE APPROACH USED IN THE NORTHERN HEMISPHERE TO LOCAL CONDITIONS view more 

CREDIT: EDUARDO CÉSAR/PESQUISA FAPESP

Initiatives involving nature-based solutions (NbS) are increasingly frequent in Europe and the United States, but still scarce in Brazil and rarely part of local public policy even when mayors are aware of the concept.

This is one of the findings of a survey conducted in Brazil by scientists at the University of São Paulo (USP) and the Federal University of the ABC (UFABC), also in São Paulo state. Based on questionnaires and a focus group of municipal technicians and project managers from all five regions of Brazil, the study aimed to help close the gap in knowledge of nature-based solutions, which address societal challenges via ecosystem protection, sustainable management and restoration, benefiting biodiversity and human wellbeing.

Although nature-based solutions are found at a range of scales and typologies, they comprise a coherent toolkit for cities that seek to decarbonize and reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while also becoming climate-resilient and ecologically healthy. 

The concept was pioneered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), created in 1948 and now the world’s largest and most diverse environmental network, with more than 1,400 governmental and civil society member organizations in 160 countries. IUCN developed a formal definition of the concept of nature-based solutions and a global standard for its use.

Many countries in the northern hemisphere are currently implementing projects and studies involving nature-based solutions for city renovation and development. However, in several cases these initiatives have driven up house prices and forced residents of neighborhoods with adequate infrastructure to move to areas farther from the city center, making inequality worse.

“Among other aspects, our study set out to see whether these policies that come from the Global North are being adapted to conditions here and whether they’re succeeding. We confirmed that nature-based solutions are becoming more frequent in Brazilian cities. Mayors and municipal administrators are familiar with the concept, but what to prioritize in decision-making is a problem,” Pedro Henrique Campello Torres told Agência FAPESP. Torres is first author of an article on the study published in the journal Environmental Science & Policy. He has a master’s degree in urban and regional planning, holds a PhD in social science, and is a professor at USP.

“If public policies that prioritize the implementation of nature-based solutions are introduced in areas where infrastructure already exists, an opportunity is missed to solve problems involving inequality of access to environmental improvements. This inequality affects public health in leisure areas and also relates to the issue of environmental racism,” he said.

The survey was part of Torres’ postdoctoral research supported by FAPESP. He is now conducting a project under the aegis of the FAPESP Research Program on Global Climate Change (RPGCC).

According to the World Cities Report published in 2022 by UN Habitat, although the pace of urbanization decelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, urban areas are already home to 55% of the world’s population, and the proportion is expected to grow to 68% by 2050, increasing the number of urban residents by 2.2 billion. 

On the other hand, the report warns that the impacts of the pandemic, as well as global economic uncertainties, environmental challenges, and wars and conflicts in different parts of the world could have long-term impacts on the future of cities, including a 30% increase in extreme poverty (213 million people) by 2030.

To meet these challenges, investment in sustainable urban development is the way forward, prioritizing a reduction in poverty and inequality; fostering productive and inclusive urban economies; and adopting environmental policies and actions that mitigate and adapt to climate change. Recommended initiatives ranging from rain gardens and linear parks to hillside stabilization and urban farms can help cities become more resilient to extreme weather events and produce benefits for society.

Methods

The researchers designed a questionnaire covering key elements of nature-based solutions relating to justice and “green gentrification” — urban renewal projects that result in changes to the profile of the residents of a given area due to removals and rising house prices.

Municipal administrators, technicians and project managers in selected Brazilian cities were asked to complete the questionnaire, with 14 items, six of them open-ended. The focus was on diagnosing the respondents’ understanding of the concept of nature-based solutions, their stage of development, the references used in their practices, and any concrete cases. The eight multiple-choice questions were designed to find out how justice comes into play and can be integrated into the design and implementation of nature-based solutions.

Thirty-one people in 20 municipalities completed the questionnaire in the period November 9-27, 2020. Most were members of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, a global network of more than 2,500 local and regional governments in 130 countries committed to sustainable urban development.

The survey covered cities in nine Brazilian states: Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janeiro, Nova Iguaçu and Niterói), São Paulo (São Paulo, Boituva, Campinas, Sorocaba, Suzano, Santo André, Ribeirão Pires and Mogi das Cruzes) and Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte) in the Southeast region; Rio Grande do Sul (São Leopoldo and Porto Alegre), Santa Catarina (Joinville and Lindóia do Sul) and Paraná (Curitiba) in the South; Ceará (Fortaleza) in the Northeast; Amapá (Macapá) in the North; and Mato Grosso (Cuiabá) in the Center-West.

After completion of the questionnaires, the researchers convened a focus group, which met on December 21, 2020, with one participant from each region to present the key results and verify possible regional differences.

In the third stage, the data from the survey and focus group were analyzed to identify the main barriers, challenges, gaps and limitations, as well as the opportunities presented by the implementation of nature-based solutions in Brazilian cities.

Results 

More than a quarter (28.5%) of the respondents said they knew about nature-based solutions from academia. The next most frequent source of this knowledge was articles and books (22%), followed by outside courses (10%), and partnerships with non-governmental organizations (10%).

When asked to name municipal projects involving nature-based solutions, 18 out of 31 were able to identify the concept but not to name specific projects. They mentioned the following types of activity: reforestation to rehabilitate hydrographic basins, rain gardens, creation of parks by reforestation, linear parks, restoration of contaminated areas, ecologically built parkways, and tree planting to combat heat islands.

With regard to the financing mechanisms that could promote more projects and works for nature-based solutions, 38% mentioned municipal environmental funds, 26% referred to public-private partnerships, and 10% cited individual or collective budget amendments.

On action to address inequality, 28% preferred collaborative governance, while 22% prioritized local community involvement in drawing up and implementing proposals.

“When we asked municipal administrators if the projects aimed to reduce deficits or improve deprived areas, they mainly responded in the negative. In other words, the initiatives weren’t implemented in deprived areas, but in already green areas, leading to the maintenance of environmental privileges and leaving a proportion of the city’s residents as badly off as before. We want the opposite: larger numbers of green areas and nature-based solutions for everyone to have access in a democratic manner,” Torres said.

To move the discussion forward, the article advocates global and local networking to address structural and funding challenges; transparency and inclusion in designing and implementing instruments for protection and environmental justice; and participatory governance and project implementation processes involving engagement with multiple actors.

According to Torres, the Brazilian case can contribute to discussion of the subject in other parts of the Global South with similar inequalities and social vulnerabilities, especially Latin America, Africa and Asia. 

Besides Torres, the other authors of the article are Pedro Henrique Campello Torres, Daniele Tubino Pante de Souza, Sandra Momm, Luciana Travassos, Sophia Picarelli, Pedro Roberto Jacobi and Robson da Silva Moreno.

The study was also supported by FAPESP via two other projects (18/12245-1 and 19/06536-6).

About São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP)

The São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) is a public institution with the mission of supporting scientific research in all fields of knowledge by awarding scholarships, fellowships and grants to investigators linked with higher education and research institutions in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. FAPESP is aware that the very best research can only be done by working with the best researchers internationally. Therefore, it has established partnerships with funding agencies, higher education, private companies, and research organizations in other countries known for the quality of their research and has been encouraging scientists funded by its grants to further develop their international collaboration. You can learn more about FAPESP at www.fapesp.br/en and visit FAPESP news agency at www.agencia.fapesp.br/en to keep updated with the latest scientific breakthroughs FAPESP helps achieve through its many programs, awards and research centers. You may also subscribe to FAPESP news agency at http://agencia.fapesp.br/subscribe.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Science & Policy

DOI

10.1016/j.envsci.2023.02.017 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey

ARTICLE TITLE

Just cities and nature-based solutions in the Global South: A diagnostic approach to move beyond panaceas in Brazil

Quantifying mangroves’ value as a climate solution and economic engine

Findings hold lessons for coastal countries looking for ways to balance climate goals under the Paris Agreement with economic development.

Peer-Reviewed Publication

STANFORD UNIVERSITY

 

IMAGE: MANGROVE TREES ALONG THE COAST OF BELIZE. view more 

CREDIT: ©ANTONIO BUSIELLO / WWF

A tiny Central American country is charting a path to slowing climate change, while boosting the economy and making communities safer. A new Stanford-led study quantifies the value of Belize’s coastal mangrove forests in terms of how much carbon they can hold, the value they can add to tourism and fisheries, and the protection they can provide against coastal storms and other risks. Importantly, the findings, published June 1 in Nature Ecology and Evolution, have already provided a basis for Belize’s commitment to protect or restore additional mangrove forests totaling an area about the size of Washington, D.C., by 2030. The approach holds lessons for many other coastal countries.

“The U.S. has one of the largest coastlines in the world, and extensive wetlands,” said study lead author Katie Arkema, a scientist at the Stanford Natural Capital Project at the time of the research, now at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the University of Washington. “This paper offers an approach we could use for setting evidence-based climate resilience and economic development goals.”

Many countries have been struggling to meet their international climate commitments. Nature-based solutions, such as locking up or sequestering carbon in mangroves, seagrasses, and salt marshes, provide a promising solution – they help nations reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and also adapt to climate change. Yet, major coastal countries, including the U.S., have largely overlooked these so-called blue carbon strategies. The oversight is due in part to the complexity of calculating how much carbon wetlands and other coastal ecosystems can sequester, and where to implement these strategies to maximize co-benefits for the economy, flood risk reduction, and other sectors.

Maximizing benefits

Working together with other scientists, as well as Belizean policymakers and stakeholders, the researchers quantified carbon storage and sequestration using land cover data from Belize and field estimates from Mexico. They quantified coastal flood risk reduction, tourism, and fisheries co-benefits by modeling related services – such as lobster breeding grounds – provided by mangroves currently and under future protection and restoration scenarios at various locations.

Among their findings: In some areas, relatively small amounts of mangrove restoration can have big tourism and fisheries benefits. In contrast, total organic carbon sequestration is initially lower when restoring mangrove areas than when protecting existing forests because it takes time for carbon stocks to accumulate in the soil and biomass.

Another key takeaway: The rate of increase for benefits other than carbon storage begins to decrease at a certain point as mangrove area continues to increase. Predicting these inflection points can help stakeholders and policymakers decide how to most effectively balance ecosystem protection with coastal development. Similarly, identifying locations where blue carbon strategies would provide the greatest delivery of co-benefits can help bolster local support.

Based on the findings, Belizean policymakers pledged to protect an additional 46 square miles of existing mangroves – bringing the national total under protection to 96 square miles – and to restore 15 square miles of mangroves by 2030. If realized, the effort will not only store and sequester millions of tons of carbon but also boost lobster fisheries by as much as 66%, generate mangrove tourism worth several million dollars annually, and reduce the risk of coastal hazards for at least 30% more people, according to the researchers’ models.

The numbers are significant for a country with a population smaller than Tulsa, Oklahoma, and a GDP equivalent to about 2% of New York City’s annual budget.

Because the approach addresses both climate and sustainable development goals, it opens new opportunities for financing nature-based solutions in countries like Belize. In the months to come, the Natural Capital Project, the InterAmerican Development Bank, and the Asian Development Bank will work with 10 countries, including Belize, to support the mainstreaming of and accounting for such nature-based approaches into policy and investment decision-making processes (read more).

“Belize’s example, illustrating the practical ways nature’s many benefits can be spatially quantified and inform a country’s climate policy and investments, are now primed to be scaled around the world with development banks and country leaders” said study co-author Mary Ruckelshaus, executive director of the Stanford Natural Capital Project.

The study was funded by the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, the Pew Charitable Trusts, and the World Wildlife Fund.

Study co-authors also include Jade Delevaux of the Natural Capital Project; Jessica Silver and Samantha Winder of the Natural Capital Project and the University of Washington; and researchers with Silvestrum Climate Associates, the World Wildlife Fund, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the University of Minnesota, Belize’s National Climate Change Office, and Belize’s Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute.

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JOURNAL

Nature Ecology & Evolution

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Jun-2023

Relationship health, mental health and sexual satisfaction linked for men who have sex with men

First study to look at interactions in racially, ethnically diverse sample of young, partnered men

Peer-Reviewed Publication

NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY

Unlike heterosexual couples, men who have sex with men (MSM) experience worse sexual health when depressed even in strong relationships, meaning mental health and sex could be more closely related for this population.

A new Northwestern Medicine study has analyzed the nuanced interactions among relationship health, mental health and sexual health among MSM.

It is among the first studies to examine interactions in a racially and ethnically diverse sample of young, partnered MSM.

The findings mostly overlap with those found in heterosexual couples: worse mental health is related to worse sexual health overall, and strong relationships can protect sexual satisfaction even when men are highly stressed. But surprisingly, when men are depressed, they report worse sexual health when they are in a strong relationship.

“Men who are in strong relationships may be more upset by having worse sexual health related to their depression — it might feel like they are letting their partner down,” said lead study author Leiszle Lapping-Carr, an instructor of psychiatry and behavioral services at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine. “It could also be explained by the change from sex in casual relationships being used for a physical connection without a need to engage emotionally to sex being a more intimate act that feels less approachable.”

The findings were published this week in the journal Archives of Sexual Behavior.

“We see what we expected: being in a strong relationship seems to help protect against the negative effects of stress on sexual relationships,” Lapping-Carr said. “But some of our results also suggest that the ways mental health, relationship quality and sexual health interact are more complex than we might expect.”

Study begins to fill the void of research in this area

Lapping-Carr, who also works as a Northwestern Medicine psychologist providing couple therapy and treating sexual dysfunction, said when she was completing her postdoctoral work in relationship and sex therapy, she noticed a dearth of research about how mental health interacts with a satisfying sex life — especially for LGBTQ+ individuals. In lieu of evidence-based research findings, clinicians trying to help their clients were left to rely on the clinical expertise of other sex therapists, mostly gathered through networking and as-needed consultation.

“There’s a lot of acknowledgment among sex and relationship therapists that the quality of the relationship can interact with individual mental health to get in the way of a satisfying sex life,” Lapping-Carr said. “But not much research exists to inform this clinical knowledge. In my practice I work with a lot of queer and trans folk, and I didn’t have much data to rely on when I was trying to figure out how to help people.”

In the study, scientists looked at a single time-point of a cross-sectional study conducted by the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) at Northwestern. The U.S.-wide study, called the RADAR study, sampled more than 1,200 participants from racially and ethnically diverse backgrounds.

Though the study didn’t look directly at minority stress, Lapping-Carr said it is possible minority stress had an impact on the findings and is important to follow up with future studies.

“Internalized homophobia and experiences of discrimination of course interact with mental health,” she said. “The study’s information is helpful for clinicians as they try to help men presenting with mental health, relationship or sexual health concerns.”

The study, “Stress and Depression are Associated with Sexual Function and Satisfaction in Young Men who have Sex with Men,” was supported by the National Institute on Drug Abuse at the National Institutes of Health (U01DA036939). The all-Northwestern team also includes Brian Mustanski, Daniel T. Ryan, Cocoa Costales and Michael E. Newcomb.

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JOURNAL

Archives of Sexual Behavior

DOI

10.1007/s10508-023-02615-5 

PAINTing a wound-healing ink into cuts with a 3D-printing pen

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

 

IMAGE: THIS 3-D PRINTING PEN IS PAINTING A GEL THAT CAN HELP WOUNDS OF ALL SHAPES HEAL QUICKLY AND EFFECTIVELY. view more 

CREDIT: ADAPTED FROM ACS APPLIED MATERIALS & INTERFACES, 2023, DOI: 10.1021/ACSAMI.3C03630

The body is pretty good at healing itself, though more severe wounds can require bandages or stitches. But researchers publishing in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces have developed a wound-healing ink that can actively encourage the body to heal by exposing the cut to immune-system vesicles. The ink can be spread into a cut of any shape using a 3D-printing pen, and in mice, the technology nearly completely repaired wounds in just 12 days.

When the skin is cut or torn, the body’s natural “construction crew” kicks in to fix it back up — clearing out any bacterial invaders, regrowing broken blood vessels and eventually forming a scar. Many techniques used to heal wounds can’t do much beyond helping the body do its job better. Bandages or stitches are used to prevent further bleeding, while antibiotics work to prevent complications from infections. But by adding members of the construction crew to a wound-healing treatment or bandage, it could actually accelerate the natural healing process. Specifically, white blood cells or the extracellular vesicles (EVs) secreted from them play important roles in promoting blood vessel formation and reducing inflammation during healing. So, Dan Li, Xianguang Ding and Lianhui Wang wanted to incorporate these EVs into a hydrogel-based wound healing ink that could be painted into cuts of any shape.

The team developed a system called PAINT, or “portable bioactive ink for tissue healing,” using EVs secreted from macrophages combined with sodium alginate. These components were combined in a 3D-printing pen, where they mixed at the pen’s tip and formed a sturdy gel at the site of injury within three minutes. The EVs promoted blood vessel formation and reduced inflammatory markers in human epithelial cells, shifting them into the “proliferative,” or growth, phase of healing. PAINT was also tested on injured mice, where it promoted collagen fiber formation. Mice treated with PAINT had almost healed completely from a large wound after 12 days, compared to mice that didn’t receive the treatment, who were not nearly as far along in the healing process at this time point. The researchers say that this work could help heal a wide variety of cuts quickly and easily, without the need for complex procedures.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Leading-Edge Technology Programme of Jiangsu Natural Science Foundation, the Natural Science Foundation, the Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, the CAS Key Laboratory of Nano-Bio Interface, the Key Laboratory of Nanodevices and Applications, and the Postgraduate Research & Practice Innovation Program of Jiangsu Province.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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JOURNAL

ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces

DOI

10.1021/acsami.3c03630 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Paintable Bioactive Extracellular Vesicle Ink for Wound Healing”

Rethink, rewrite, redefine—how biodegradable plastics are reshaping sustainability

A new book written by UC San Diego researchers and students makes a case for the future of algae-based materials

Book Announcement

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA - SAN DIEGO

 

IMAGE: "RETHINKING POLYESTER POLYURETHANES" BOOK COVER view more 

CREDIT: NONE

The University of California San Diego’s vision is to be a student-centered, research-focused, service-oriented public university. There are countless examples across campus of the ways these three pillars are upheld, but it is unique to find all three incorporated at once. Now a new book on algae-based biodegradable plastics showcases student research and the monumental potential it has to change consumerism on a global scale.

Statistics on the environmental damage of plastics are stark: in 2018, U.S. landfills received 27 million tons of plastic (U.S. Environmental Protection Agency); up to 199 million tons of plastic may exist in our oceans (United Nations Environment Programme); and it can take up to 450 years for plastic bottles and diapers to decompose (World Economic Forum).

Researchers at UC San Diego have spent many years developing a biodegradable plastic alternative made from algae. This algae-based polymer has already been used to make surfboards, flip flops and walking shoes. Rethinking Polyester Polyurethanes: Algae-Based Renewable, Sustainable, Biodegradable and Recyclable Materials (Emerging Issues in Analytical Chemistry), published by Elsevier, details the basic science of creating bio-based polymers, lifecycle assessments and a techno-economic analysis.

Edited by Professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry Robert “Skip” Pomeroy, and largely written during the pandemic, the book’s contributing authors include UC San Diego faculty, research scientists, postdoctoral scholars, alumni, and graduate and undergraduate students.

“The academic teaching labs at UC San Diego are intentionally designed to foster collaboration among dedicated individuals and groups who are seeking solutions to the growing sea of plastic that plagues our oceans,” said Chancellor Pradeep K. Khosla. “Robert Pomeroy, Michael Burkart and Steven Mayfield have engaged a diverse set of perspectives from students, industry and the community in their efforts to apply innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset to protect our planet’s resources. They reflect our campus commitment to taking bold, creative actions to solve one of the world’s most challenging problems.”

Redefining Recycling

For all the attention it receives, recycling is often prohibitively expensive and inefficient. Only a small fraction of plastics are recycled, and most new plastic products are not made from recycled materials.

Pomeroy’s lab specializes in analytical chemistry, which he believes can help us redefine terms like “recyclable” and “biodegradable.” A chapter in the book about greenwashing — claiming something is environmentally friendly when it’s not — takes a closer look at these labels.

He points out that just because an item can be recycled doesn’t mean it gets put into the recycling bin, and even then, it may not make it to a recycling plant. For instance, plastic-coated milk cartons are technically recyclable, but there aren’t any facilities in California that recycle them. Many times, these kinds of “recyclable” items are simply burned.

Another example is using the word “biodegradable.” Sometimes manufacturers will include a small amount of inert material, such as wood fiber, in a plastic product and claim it is biodegradable. “All they’re doing is creating microplastics,” said Pomeroy. “Now we’re challenging the words. We’re challenging the definitions. This is where the analytical chemistry comes in. We want to establish a right way to do this.”

Fundamentally, Pomeroy believes we need to change the way we think about plastics, including single-use plastics, such as straws and medical supplies. While paper straws disintegrate too quickly — often mid-drink — ones made from algae polymers will hold their structural integrity long enough to be useful, but then biodegrade in a fraction of the time of a plastic straw.

“We need to be more thoughtful about making the lifetime of the product match the lifetime of its use,” Pomeroy stated.

Rewriting the Text

Pomeroy wanted the book to be relevant and to show the science, but also to be something that was readable without speaking over people’s heads or talking down to them. It is meant to be a resource to industry professionals involved in the sales, marketing or manufacture of polyurethane products; those in regulatory roles who want to understand the advantages of bio-based materials; and those involved in the research of bio-based materials, including students in environmental chemistry, engineering and materials science.

Pomeroy found eager students from across disciplines to work in his lab and contribute to writing chapters. “Some students are from chemistry, some are chemical engineers, some are statisticians, some are biologists,” he stated. “They come from a lot of different places. Sometimes the best research opportunities aren’t in your department.”

One student was Anton Samoylov, who graduated in 2021 with a B.S. in chemical engineering, and began working in Pomeroy’s lab as a freshman. Although he wasn’t a chemistry major, during a Triton Day lab tour, Samoylov was drawn in as Pomeroy enthusiastically discussed his work in developing algae surfboards and the potential of algae as a biofuel and renewable plastic.

As an undergraduate, Samoylov worked on the book with two mentors, postdoctoral scholars An Phung and Bhausaheb Rajput, whom he already knew from working together on making microfluidic flow systems for polyurethane precursor synthesis.

Now a graduate student at the University of Arizona, studying chemical and environmental engineering, Samoylov said, “Having small groups of authors for each chapter was great because I had the ability to engage deeply with the writing process. Because of the work we did together, I felt comfortable and proud taking ownership of that book chapter. Skip’s lab definitely provided me unique opportunities.”

Rethinking the Student Experience

“Why do students come to UC San Diego? Is it to sit in a lecture hall with 300 other students or is it because there is an opportunity to participate in the life of the university?” Pomeroy asked.

“Everyone who worked on this book — they got hands-on lab experience; they published research papers; they interacted with our start-up company, Algenesis. I think that is a huge added-value not many other universities can provide.”

It was also important for students to see what the life of a faculty researcher was like. “We do have enviable jobs, but we work hard. And we work hard because we’re passionate about it,” Pomeroy stated. “I want our students to see that this is our life, but it could be their life too. If they put in the work, they can be leaders in their field.”

One emerging leader is Miheer Modi, who earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from UC San Diego, and is now a research associate with Scripps Research. In working on the book, Modi learned how to sift through large quantities of information, see a project through to completion and pace himself to achieve long-term goals — traits that have proved useful in his current position.

“I have tremendous respect and admiration for Dr. Pomeroy’s insight,” Modi said. “His lab gave me that safe space and opportunity where I could explore and develop my passion for analytical chemistry, which has now led to a job I thoroughly enjoy.”

Biodegradable plastic from sugar cane also threatens the environment

Peer-Reviewed Publication

UNIVERSITY OF GOTHENBURG

 

IMAGE: THE BEHAVIOUR OF SMALL PERCH EXPOSED TO BIOPLASTICS IN FISH FOOD CHANGED OVER A PERIOD OF SIX MONTHS. view more 

CREDIT: ELENANOEVA

Plastic made from cane sugar also threatens the environment. Researchers from the University of Gothenburg have found that perch change their behaviour when exposed to so-called bioplastic.

Traditional plastic, based on fossil oil, has flooded the earth and there is microplastic in all living things. This has led to intensive research for alternatives that decompose faster in nature. Bio-based polymers based on cane sugar are one such option. The most common bioplastic is poly-L-lactide (PLA), which is used in 3D printers, textiles, food packaging, disposable cutlery and other applications.

PLA plastic changed the behaviour of perch

Bioplastics also have a negative impact on biological life. Doctoral student Azora König Kardgar at the University of Gothenburg has found that the behaviour of small perch exposed to bioplastics in fish food changed over a period of six months. They reacted far more when they met fellow perch than normal. In addition, there were signs of reduced movement, altered ability to form shoals and altered reaction when approached by danger.

“Toxicological experiments that analyse animal behaviour are very rare. Most commonly, researchers look at physiological changes. We can see that something in PLA plastic causes changes in the fish, but we can’t see what,” says Azora.

Because this research looked at PLA microplastic particles, the researchers also tested feeding the perch with kaolin particles, a white clay used for porcelain and to coat paper. Fish fed with kaolin showed some minor changes in behaviour. However, a male sex hormone was affected and some other gene expressions in the fish was curbed, such as the response to stress.

PLA is not an environmentally friendly option

“We see that PLA is not harmless to fish, so it should not be sold as an environmentally friendly alternative to ordinary plastic. It should be considered as equivalent to ordinary plastic,” says Azora.

Fish were fed for six months with food containing 2 per cent PLA, which is about the concentration of ordinary petrochemical plastic used in previous studies. The quantity of kaolin fed to another group of fish was also 2 per cent. In addition, there was also a control group of perch fed with uncontaminated food.

Scientific paper in Science of the Total Environment https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969723020442

In the experiment, microplastic ground from PLA, a plastic made from sugar cane, was added to fish food, which was then fed to young perch.

CREDIT

University of Gothenburg

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JOURNAL

Science of The Total Environment

DOI

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163425 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Experimental study

SUBJECT OF RESEARCH

Animals

ARTICLE TITLE

Chronic poly(l-lactide) (PLA)- microplastic ingestion affects social behavior of juvenile European perch (Perca fluviatilis)

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

10-Jul-2023

Plastics circularity needs to become meaningful, inclusive, and practical

Peer-Reviewed Publication

POLITECNICO DI MILANO

In a new paper published today in the Journal of Waste Management, four scientists from Brunel University London, Politecnico di Milano, University of Southern Denmark and Wageningen University & Research remind us that circularity is not necessarily synonymous with sustainability. Therefore, striving to achieve circularity  will not always guarantee a sustainable outcome.

Achieving higher circularity of packaging materials, components, and products is now a significant trajectory taken by politicians and businesses to curb the negative environmental impacts caused by packaging life cycles. Circularity has become an established concept in the public debate but still remains a broad notion that needs a precise definition, that goes beyond the use of metrics and indicators that are not fit for purpose or easy to measure such as collection rates, recycling rates, recycled content, biobased content etc… Circularity measured with such indicators fails to capture system realities or broader effects, including potential rebound effects that may negate or even overturn environmental benefits. 

As an example of a meaningful and practical approach, the four researchers Ciprian Cimpan, Eleni Iacovidou, Lucia Rigamonti and Eggo U. Thoden van Velzen propose a product-centric circularity scorecard that captures aspects likely to demonstrate a product's environmental sustainability. It is based on 7 simple questions covering the life cycle of a product: production, use and end-of-life. This "common sense" approach resembles the waste hierarchy with a simple priority order that holds true in most cases.

“Current actions aiming at achieving circularity may be overly focused on superficial effects and losing sight of true circular economy goals” the four researchers argue. “Our aim is to trigger a scientific discussion on how to best combine scientific knowledge and research on the flows of materials, components and products through society to achieve the broader objective of sustainability, while keeping up with the timelines imposed by the pace of business and policy decisions. That is why we are making a plea for meaningful circularity goals, to avoid that business or policy decisions involuntarily contribute to cementing policy and infrastructure that do not contribute to true sustainability”, they conclude.

In a context where the European Commission is proposing to turn the Packaging & Packaging Waste Directive into a Regulation that would be directly applicable in all EU Member States, it becomes of paramount importance that we do not lose sight of actual circular economy goals. In cases where Member States have initiated new laws on packaging waste, and where the business community is committing to ambitious targets to increase the circularity of their products a meaningful, inclusive and practical circularity that promotes sustainability is crucial!

The paper is available here: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wasman.2023.04.049

JOURNAL

Waste Management

DOI

10.1016/j.wasman.2023.04.049 

METHOD OF RESEARCH

Meta-analysis

ARTICLE TITLE

Keep circularity meaningful, inclusive and practical: A view into the plastics value chain

ARTICLE PUBLICATION DATE

1-Jul-2023

Cutting boards can produce microparticles when chopping veggies, study shows

Peer-Reviewed Publication

AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY

Cutting boards are handy tools found in most homes and restaurant kitchens. But a small-scale study in ACS’ Environmental Science & Technology suggests that they are an overlooked source of micrometer-sized particles. The researchers report that chopping up carrots on wood and plastic boards could produce tens of millions of microparticles a year. However, a toxicity test showed no substantial effect on mouse cell survival from polyethylene or wood microparticles released during chopping. 

Most cutting boards are made of rubber, bamboo, wood or plastic. Over time, these kitchen implements develop grooves and slash marks from mincing, slicing and chopping food. Recently, researchers have shown that some plastic board materials, including polypropylene and polyethylene, can shed nano- and micro-sized flecks when cut with knives. Yet those studies didn’t assess how many of these microplastics could be produced during realistic food preparation scenarios. This would be an important piece of information because the particles might have negative health impacts if ingested. So, Syeed Md Iskander and colleagues wanted to investigate the microparticles that would be released when chopping vegetables on plastic and wood boards, as well as any potential toxicity from these tiny materials.

The researchers collected and measured the micro-sized particles released from cutting boards, which were repeatedly struck by a knife. In their tests, they compared five people’s chopping patterns and one person’s chopping on different materials with and without carrots.

From the results, the team calculated that food preparation could produce 14 to 71 million polyethylene microplastics and 79 million polypropylene microplastics from their respective boards each year. The estimates could vary, depending on:

• An individual’s chopping style.
• The board material.
• The force needed to cut through foods.
• Whether ingredients are roughly or finely chopped.
• And how often a cutting board is used.

Yearly estimates were not determined for wooden boards, though the researchers reported that these items sloughed off 4 to 22 times more microparticles than plastic ones in different tests.

But even though many microparticles formed, the researchers found that polyethylene microplastics and wood microparticles released when chopping carrots didn’t appear to significantly change mouse cells’ viability in lab tests. While plastic cutting boards are easy to clean, the researchers conclude that other options could be used to reduce potential microplastic contamination in foods.

The authors acknowledge funding from the Civil, Construction, and Environmental Engineering department at North Dakota State University; the Department of Biology at University of Southern Denmark; and Danmarks Frie Forskningsfond.

The American Chemical Society (ACS) is a nonprofit organization chartered by the U.S. Congress. ACS’ mission is to advance the broader chemistry enterprise and its practitioners for the benefit of Earth and all its people. The Society is a global leader in promoting excellence in science education and providing access to chemistry-related information and research through its multiple research solutions, peer-reviewed journals, scientific conferences, eBooks and weekly news periodical Chemical & Engineering News. ACS journals are among the most cited, most trusted and most read within the scientific literature; however, ACS itself does not conduct chemical research. As a leader in scientific information solutions, its CAS division partners with global innovators to accelerate breakthroughs by curating, connecting and analyzing the world’s scientific knowledge. ACS’ main offices are in Washington, D.C., and Columbus, Ohio.

To automatically receive news releases from the American Chemical Society, contact newsroom@acs.org.

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JOURNAL

Environmental Science & Technology

DOI

10.1021/acs.est.3c00924 

ARTICLE TITLE

“Cutting Boards: An Overlooked Source of Microplastics in Human Food?”

Reusable packaging revolution is close - experts say

Reports and Proceedings

UNIVERSITY OF PORTSMOUTH

30 May 2023 - A detailed plan to transform product packaging and significantly cut plastic production and pollution has been developed by researchers.

The study comes as government representatives meet in Paris to negotiate a legally binding global plastics treaty with a mandate to end plastic pollution. 

The research, published today by the University of Portsmouth’s Global Plastics Policy Centre, commissioned by the Break Free From Plastic movement, consolidates 320 articles and papers, plus 55 new interviews with reuse experts from around the world [1], to suggest a universal definition of reuse systems and, for the first time, assess how all nations can move away from throw-away packaging.

Packaging is responsible for 40% of all plastic in the EU, and plastic packaging waste is set to grow by 46% by 2030, according to the European Commission. The 10 most commonly found single-use plastic items on European beaches, alongside fishing gear, represent 70% of all marine litter in the EU, it says. Reuse systems could cut plastic pollution by 30 percent by 2040.

The study found: 

• A phased approach is needed to deliver economy-wide change from single-use to reusable packaging systems that can significantly reduce impacts on our climate, environment, biodiversity and health. Many reuse systems are already developed, proven and scalable. Fundamental to true reuse systems is packaging on loan to consumers that is returned multiple times until a sustainability ‘breakeven point’ is achieved.
• The upcoming global plastic treaty, being developed in Paris this week, is seen as a major opportunity for policymakers to support the upscaling of reuse systems, limit virgin plastic production, set standards and boost infrastructure. Virgin plastic reduction targets are 25 years behind carbon emissions targets, the reuse experts interviewed said.
• Next generation packaging should mostly be standardised, stackable and electronically tagged. It must be durable, lightweight, washable and non-toxic, but no one material is best suited to all situations.
• The path to mass adoption of reuse systems should roll out in four phases, the authors say, starting with large venues such as sports arenas and music festivals, which have breakthrough potential to build public acceptance, a challenge identified by three quarters (74%) of the reuse experts interviewed.
• Delivery firms will have a major role in the return and reuse economy, collecting used packaging while making deliveries.

The study envisages a world where all packaging is chipped or tagged and can be dropped into smart bins, cleaned and pooled at centralised ‘hubs’ before being delivered back to factories and retailers. Reuse systems will vary by sector, but the researchers think the transition will likely occur first in cities, where infrastructure is more adaptable. Widespread change will take time, the researchers concede, but closed environments like schools, hospitals, events and food courts are relatively easy to shift to zero waste packaging, as is the drinks sector, where some reuse brands already achieve high return rates. Harder will be the fast food sector where packaging often ends up scattered. ‘Rentable packaging’ could help, where customers order through apps and are charged a small fee if they do not return the packaging.

Most (82%) experts interviewed worry about higher costs and infrastructure change of reusable packaging, while many are also concerned about hygiene and loss of brand identity. Reuse supporters interviewed strongly criticise governments for lacking vision and over-investing in recycling and incineration, which are often barriers to reuse.

Director of the Global Plastics Policy Centre at the University of Portsmouth, Professor Steve Fletcher, said: “This study is a significant evidence based global assessment of how we can swap wasteful single use packaging for reuse systems. It shows that there is no one-size-fits-all packaging material or system for reuse, but we know that it has to fit seamlessly into people’s lives and that has huge untapped potential to end plastic pollution. What we need now is a clear vision for reuse and the right support to mainstream it.”

Break Free From Plastic global coordinator Von Hernandez said: “The scourge of single-use packaging continues to grow at a pace beyond the capacities of existing waste management systems. Prevention is key; ramping up reuse systems is the most sensible approach to replacing single use plastics and dramatically cut plastic production. The plastics treaty discussions this week must lay the groundwork for this transformation.”

Tiza Mafira, Executive Director Gerakan Indonesia Diet Kantong Plastik, said: “It is clear that reuse is much more than simply packaging, it is a system that needs all players in a global supply chain to take part. That’s why reuse needs to be right at the heart of the plastic treaty discussions this week, so that the operational nuts and bolts can be agreed and reuse can thrive and scale.” 

The European Commission recently announced fresh laws against the “constantly growing source of waste” from packaging and a “steep decline” in reuse rates, promising support for reuse systems. Boosting reuse could create more than 600,000 jobs by 2030, it says. Progress in Europe could influence the global treaty talks, campaigners say.

ENDS

This report is available here: https://plasticspolicy.port.ac.uk/research/making-reuse-reality and https://www.breakfreefromplastic.org/reuse 

Case studies of successful reuse systems are available on request.

Notes

[1] The researchers examined 320 academic journals, business policies, NGO reports and case studies and carried out 55 phone interviews with reuse and refill specialists, businesses, NGOs, multinational corporations, advocacy and community groups, divided almost equally between the Global North and South, between December 2022 and February 2023.

Notes for editors:

The University of Portsmouth is a progressive and dynamic university with an outstanding reputation for innovative teaching and globally significant research and innovation.

The University's research and innovation culture is impacting lives today and in the future and addressing local, national and global challenges across science, technology, humanities, business and creative industries. http://www.port.ac.uk/

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METHOD OF RESEARCH

Survey