G7 Plastics Workshop Microplastics and leakage to water-courses and the oceans

Transcription

1 German Environment Agency G7 Plastics Workshop Microplastics and leakage to water-courses and the Jan van Franeker, IMARES Stefanie Werner Marine Protection Unit stefanie.werner@uba.de Dr. Claus Gerhard Bannick Waste Water Technology Research

2 What are we talking about? Plastics Rubber Thermoplastics Thermosets Elastomers Waste Litter Macroplastic(above25mm) 1 Mesoplastic(5mm to 25mm) Large microplastic(1mm to 5mm) Any solid particle or object unsoluble in water in the respective size Note: The defined dimension is related to the longest diameter of the particle Small Microplastic(1µm to 1mm) Note: The particles may show various shapes, e.g. fibre fragments, foils fragments Microplastics are: intentionally used in products or not intentionally used but generated from the use of products or coming from fragmentation/degradation of larger plastic fragments 1 - ISO-report - Plastics in the Environment Current state of knowledge and methodologies G7 Plastics Workshop 2

3 Sources and pathways G7 Plastics Workshop 3

4 Impacts of marine litter G7 Plastics Workshop 4

5 Determining and assessing microplastics Still missing: an international accepted definition, work on definition for plastics in the environment ongoing in ISO TC 61 SC 14 WG4 Work on harmonization of investigation methods and sampling strategies ongoing in various fora, including ISO/CEN, GESAMP, JPI Oceans, EU TG Marine Litter, Regional Seas Conventions Establishment of common indicators for assessment of microplasticsin the marine environment (requested by MSFD COM DEC, developed by EU MS and RSCs) G7 Plastics Workshop 5

6 Annual emission of MP in the North-East Atlantic (OSPAR) G7 Plastics Workshop 6

7 G7/G20 Investigating sustainable and cost-effective solutions to reduce and prevent sewage and storm water related waste, including micro plastics entering the marine environment. Promote effective waste water treatment and storm water management. Significantly reduce the use of micro beads and single use plastics and where appropriate phase them out. Encouraging industry to develop sustainable packaging and remove ingredients from products to gain environmental benefits, such as a voluntary phase-out of microbeads. Promoting best practises along the whole plastics manufufacturing, and value chain from production to transport, e.g. aiming for zero pelllet loss. Significant reduce the loss of plastic pellets during production and transport. MP in Marine Litter Action Plans REGIONAL (OSPAR) Investigate and promote with appropriate industries the use of BAT and BEP to develop cost-effective solutions to reduce and prevent sewage and storm water related waste entering the marine environment, including micro particles. Evaluate all products and products that include primary microplastics and act, if appropriate to reduce their impact on the marine environment. Engage with all appropriate sectors (manufacturing, retail etc.) to explore the possibility of a voluntary agreement to phase out the use of micro plastics as a component in personal care and cosmetic products. Should a voluntary agreement prove not to be sufficient, prepare a proposal for OSPAR to call on the EU to introduce appropriate measures to achieve a 100% phasing out of micro plastics in personal care and cosmetic products. Promote initiatives and exchange of best practice aiming at zero pellet loss along the whole plastics manufacturing chain from production to transport G7 Plastics Workshop 7

8 MP in European Strategy for Plastics in a Circular Economy ANNEX I List of future EU measures to implement the strategy Actions to monitor and curb marine litter more effectively: - improved monitoring and mapping of marine litter, including microplastics, on the basis of EU harmonised methods -supportto EU MS on theimplementationof theirpomson ML undermsfd Actions to curb microplastics pollution: - start the process to restrict the intentional addition of microplastics to products via REACH -examinationof policyoptionsfor reducingunintentioanlreleaseof MP from tyres, textiles and paints - development of measures to reduce plastic pellet spillage -evaluation of the Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive: assessing effectiveness as regards microplastics capture and removal G7 Plastics Workshop 8

9 Global connection to wastewater collection (UN Statistics Devision) G7 Plastics Workshop 9

10 Changes in wastewater treatment in regions of Europe (EUA) G7 Plastics Workshop 10

11 Urban Waste Water treatmant in the EU milllion population equivalent sup pe 51% pe 38% pe 11% Total generated Load Agglomerations pe and more Total treatment plants capacity Total EU waste water load per agglomeration size, compared to treatment plants capacity TheEUreachedahighlevelofcomplianceby2014,withratesof: 94.7 % for collection (either through collecting systems or the alternative individual or other appropriate systems(ias)); 88.7% for secondary treatment; 84.5 % for more stringent treatment than secondary treatment, removing nitrogen (N) and/or phosphorus (P), when required. IAS should provide an equivalent level of environmental protection according to the UWWTD G7 Plastics Workshop 11

12 Relationships: Plastic waste water environment (in general) Treated wastewater surface waters, groundwater(recharge), soils (water reuse), marine waters Mixed wastewater overflow surface waters, marine waters Waste water from separate sewers soils, surface waters Sewage sludge soils(fertilizer) G7 Plastics Workshop 12

13 Outlook: further measures on wastewater treatment AdressingMP in theforthcomingrevisionof theurban Waste WaterTreatment Directive Development/establishmentof a teststandardfor thequantificationof MP in WastewaterTreatment Revision of Sewage Sludge Directive Improved stormwater treatment Ambitious limit values for plastic in the European Fertilizer Ordinance After hugeprecipitationeventsin Berlin Establishment of monitoringprogramsof MP in variousenvironmental compartments and plants using harmonized methodologies to evaluate current situation and effectivenes of measures taken Close coordination of actionstakenbyjapan, theeu and otherg7/g20 partners, Regional Seas Convention and other parties engaged G7 Plastics Workshop 13

14 Activities of the Interest Group Plastic of the EU-EPA Network Chairs of IG Plastic: Dr. Lilian Busse, UBA, Germany Dr. Bettina Rechenberg, UBA, Germany G7 Plastics Workshop 14

15 German Environment Agency Thanks for listening! Questions? WWSTEFANIE.WERNERW.OSPAR.ORG Trevailet. al 2014