IQS-URL leads a project with the Barcelona World Race on the measurement of the concentration of micro-plastics in marine waters

Friday, 23 January 2015. The ships taking part in the Barcelona World Race will help to gather data for a project on measuring the concentration of micro-plastics in marine waters, involving IQS-URL, and Sailing Technologies, the spin-off of the IQS-URL Materials Engineering Group (GEMAT). This is an unprecedented partnership between the world of sailing and the scientific community, which began three years ago and has been performed during the current edition of the Barcelona World Race.

Micro-plastics are particles that have a very negative effect on the life cycle of many species that ingest them and require special detectors to be located.

GEMAT has designed the whole analytical and sampling system and Sailing Technologies, with its experience in the top level sailing competition sector, has created the entire data management and geolocation system and other parameters relevant to achieving the project.

The vessel One Planet, One Ocean & Pharmaton from the team of the Barcelona Foundation for Ocean Sailing (FNOB) which organises the Barcelona World Race, has one of these devices for measuring the level of micro-plastics in seawater. The equipment comprises a system of filters and test tubes that collect and measure the particles and obtain data that will later be analysed.

The project, which has a significant educational environmental awareness component, is coordinated by the UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC-UNESCO) and led by chemical engineer Dr. Salvador Borrós, from IQS-URL. It also enjoys the support of the Institute of Marine Sciences (ICM) of the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC) and FNOB.

The project to measure the concentration of micro-plastics is one of the four scientific projects involving vessels in the Barcelona World Race 2014/15 and prestigious universities and research institutions.

More information:
Marta Tena
IQS-URL Director of Communications
Tel. 932 672 000 | marta.tena@iqs.edu