The MOMENTUM project: a personal story

Introduction: Understanding the effects of microplastics on health

Being a part of the first generation to grow up with social media and the internet as a part of my daily life, I have learned that global warming is real threat to humanity and life on earth in general. It is really important for me to contribute wherever I can to make sure the world stays a healthy place for my children and all the generations to come. In addition, plastic waste material can be very harmful for life on earth when they are either processed wrongly after use or not processed at all. There is a need to increase our knowledge of plastics, its distribution in nature and its chemical behavior while being exposed to the forces of nature. We need to understand microplastics in general and how to process and breakdown plastic waste. Because of my in-depth knowledge of the XRF technique, and interest in sustainability and environmental progress I was asked to help with the MOMENTUM project.

The Utrecht University in The Netherlands is leading the MOMENTUM project and aiming to unravel the human health effects of micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) and propose solutions to minimize their health impact. This project is a research consortium supported by ZonMw and Health-Holland, with key stakeholders from academia, government, industry and citizen organizations. Malvern Panalytical is one of several companies assisting Utrecht University in their research. Our Epsilon4, a multi-functional benchtop XRF analyzer, is being used in the program to provide fast and accurate identification of the atomic composition of the MNPs in the samples.

In the project, I analyzed six samples on an Epsilon 4 15W energy dispersive XRF spectrometer equipped with a silver tube. XRF spectrometry – both energy dispersive (ED) and wavelength dispersive (WD) – is a method with which you can analyze the atomic composition of a sample. The samples were either plastics as very fine solid particles or solid particles in suspension. Each sample was measured with the Omnian Standardless Analysis package. This package lets you analyze materials for which you do not have a dedicated calibration in place on your system and want a quick overview of its composition.

With our XRF systems, we generate X-rays from samples by first irradiating the specimen with X-rays. Then the signal is captured by a detector, counted, and subdivided by energy. Each element of the periodic table has a specific energy with which it sends out X-rays. Because of that, we can match the obtained signal to the element it originates from in the sample. The intensity of the signal is compared with a calibration line, and we can then quantify the concentration of the element in the sample.

By using XRF, the Utrecht University was able base their research results on MNPs particles that mimic the ones found in our environment for the first time. In the past, researchers used off-the-shelf MNP particles bought from industry that were similar but not exactly like those found in our environment.

At the end of the study, the team of the MOMENTUM project will present a road map to the Dutch government and the European Commission for better assessment and mitigation of the potential risks of MNPs that will help shape policies promoting a healthier environment for us all.

I am proud to be making a small but critical contribution by making the invisible visible and helping to have a positive impact on human health.