Publications and conference contributions

Publications related to P-LEACH

[1] Rummel, C.D.; Schäfer, H.; Jahnke, A.; Arp, H.P.; Schmitt-Jansen M. Effects of leachates from UV‑weathered microplastic on the microalgae Scenedesmus vacuolatus. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2022, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-021-03798-3

[2] H. Joerss & F. Menger: The complex ‘PFAS world’ - How recent discoveries and novel screening tools reinforce existing concerns. Curr. Opin. Green Sustain. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2023.100775

[3] L. Hildebrandt, T. Zimmermann, D. Pröfrock: Laser microdissection pressure catapulting (LMPC): a new technique to handle single microplastic particles for number‑based validation strategies. Anal. Bioanal. Chem. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00216-023-04611-z

[4] J. Hansen, L. Hildebrandt, T. Zimmermann, F. El Gareb, E.K. Fischer, D. Pröfrock: Quantification and characterization of microplastics in surface water samples from the Northeast Atlantic Ocean using laser direct infrared imaging. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.114880

[5] D. Tora, U. Hentschel, S. Lips, M. Schmitt-Jansen, E. Borchert: 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis of the microbial community on microplastic samples from the North Atlantic and Great Pacific Garbage Patches. Afr. J. Microbiol. Res. 2023, https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR2022.9682

[6] N. Ulrich, A. Böhme, A.B. Strobel, T. Egert: Predicting partitioning from low density polyethylene to blood and adipose tissue by linear solvation energy relationship models. J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 2023, https://doi.org/10.1002/jbm.b.35304

[7] L. Hildebrandt, M. Fischer, O. Klein, T. Zimmermann, F. Fensky, A. Siems, A. Zonerman, E. Hengstmann, T. Kirchgeorg, D. Pröfrock: An analytical stragety for challenging members of the microplastic family: Particles from anti-corrosion coatings. J. Haz. Mat. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.134173

[8] F. Menger, M. Römerscheid, S. Lips, O. Klein, D. Nabi, J. Gandrass, H. Joerss, K. Wendt-Potthoff, D. Bedulina, T. Zimmermann, M. Schmitt-Jansen, C. Huber, A. Böhme, N. Ulrich, A. J. Beck, E.P. Achterberg, A. Jahnke, L. Hildebrandt: Screening the release of chemicals and microplastic particles from diverse plastic consumer products into water under accelerated UV weathering conditions. J. Haz. Mat. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhazmat.2024.135256

[9] S.M. Brander, K. Senathirajah, M.O. Fernandez, J.S. Weis, E. Kumar, A. Jahnke, N.B. Hartmann, J.J. Alava, T. Farrelly, B.C. Almroth, K.J. Groh, K. Syberg, J.S. Buerkert, A. Abeynayaka, A.M. Booth, X. Cousin, D. Herzke, L. Monclús, C. Morales-Caselles, A. Bonisoli-Alquati, R. Al-jaibachi, M. Wagner: The time for ambitious action is now: Science-based recommendations for plastic chemicals to inform an effective global plastic treaty. Sci. Total Environ. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.174881

[10] C. Schmidt, D. Kühnel, D. Materić, J. Stubenrauch, K. Schubert, A. Luo, K. Wendt-Potthoff, A. Jahnke: A multidisciplinary perspective on the role of plastic pollution in the triple planetary crisis. Environ. Int. 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2024.109059

[11] D. Nabi, A.J. Beck, E.P. Achterberg: Assessing Aquatic Baseline Toxicity of Plastic-Associated Chemicals: Development and Validationof the Target Plastic Model. J. Chem. Inf. Model. 2024, DOI 10.1021/acs.jcim.4c00574

[12] D. Bedulina, S. Korez Lupse, L. Hildebrandt, Y. Duan, O. Klein, S. Primpke, C. Bock, S. Krause, S. Czichon, D. Pröfrock, G. Gerdts, G. Lannig: Effect of particles from wind turbine blades erosion on blue mussels Mytilus edulis, Sci. Total Environ. 2024

[13] Heather A. Leslie, Annika Jahnke, Elisa Rojo-Nieto and Hans Peter H. Arp: Plastic-Associated Chemicals: Late Lessons from Early Equilibrium Partitioning Science, Environmental Science & Technology, 2025

[14] Annika Jahnke, Aaron J. Beck, Richard L. Becker, Daria Bedulina, Ulrike Braun, Gunnar Gerdts, Lars Hildebrandt, Hanna Joerss, Ole Klein, Janine Korduan, Christian Laforsch, Gisela Lannig, Heather A. Leslie, Stefan Lips, Frank Menger, Deedar Nabi, Sonja Oberbeckmann, Sebastian Primpke, Daniel Profröck, Anja F.R.M. Ramsperger, Dana Kühnel: Perspective article: Multisectoral considerations to enable a circular economy for plastics, ScienceDirect, 2025

[15] Changchao Li, Ling N. Jin, Michael S. Bank, Chunlan Fan, Michael R. Gillings, Tingting Zhao, Yang Han, Tian Chen, Meng Gao, Dong Zhu, Qinglin Chen, Guibing Zhu, Jie Wang, Jian Liu, Xianzheng, Yuan, Qishen Huang, Xiaofei Wang, Annika Jahnke, Janice Brahney, Matthias C. Rilling: Potential planetary health impact of the airborne plastisphere, ScienceDirect, 2025

[16] Deedar Nabi, Eric Carmona, Frank Menger, Mara Römerscheid, Stefan Lips, Aaron J. Beck, Alexander Böhme, Hanna Joerss, Annika Jahnke, Deniz Tasdemir, Eric P. Achterberg: UV weathering alters toxicity and chemical composition of consumer plastic leachates, ScienceDirect, 2025

Conference contributions

[1] M. Römerscheid et al. " P-LEACH: Leaching of plastic-associated chemicals in diverse media" IPSW, 2022, Utrecht (Netherlands)

[2] M. Römerscheid et al. "Prioritization of consumer plastics for further testing based on artificial weathering combined with bioanalytical and chemical screening" SETAC Europe Meeting, 2023, Dublin.

[3] F. Menger et al. "Plastic, water & the sun - Characterization of chemicals leaching from plastic under UV light treatment" International Conference on Non-Target Screening (ICNTS 23), 2023, Erding (Germany).

[4] F. Menger et al. "Environmental Chemicals and Human Health" HEAL 2023 – Collective Action for Health, Environment and Climate, 2023, Australia.

[5] F. Menger et al. "Uncovering Hidden Threats – Screening Unidentified Chemicals in Plastic Leachates Using LC-HRMS and Machine Learning Tools" Plastic Pollution from Macro to Nano (MICRO 2024), 2024, Lanzarote (Spain)

[6] F. Menger et al. "The Role of UV Light on the Aquatic Leaching and Transformation of Plastic Additives" SETAC Europe 34th Annual Meeting, 2024, Sevilla (Spain)

Student degree projects

[1] J. Schattschneider "Entwicklung einer Methode zur Bestimmung von organischen Plastikadditiven in wässrigen Proben mittels LC-/MS/MS und GC-MS/MS" (in German), MSc. thesis, University of Hamburg (Chemistry), carried out at Hereon, 2023.

News

We would like to draw your attention to this viewpoint, which arose as a follow-up after our Stakeholdermeeting.

Gisela Lannig: I was invited on February 20, 2025, to the 13th meeting of the Round Table on Marine Litter, Lower Saxony Ministry for Environment, Energy, and Climate Protection, with the presentation "Microplastic Entries from Erosion of Rotor Blades of Wind Turbines."

We held our final progress meeting back-to-back with a Stakeholder Workshop @UFZ on October 21-23. Read more under "Currently ongoing in P-LEACH". Thanks to everyone to making the meeting such a great experience!

Dr. Frank Menger (Hereon) lately gave an interview in the german radio “Deutschlandfunk” in the series “Umwelt und Verbraucher” called "Chemiecocktail Kunstoff: Wieviel landet im Wasser?". It is available only in German!

The P-LEACH consortium was very well represented at this year's SETAC conference in Seville, Spain (May 5-9, 2024) and presented many exciting new results.

Recent progress of the P-LEACH consortium and future steps were discussed at GEOMAR on January 30-31, 2024.

Conference presentation

Frank presenting at the conference.

Frank Menger presented his current work at the International Conference on Non-Target Screening (ICNTS 23), 2023, Erding (Germany): "Plastic, water & the sun - Characterization of chemicals leaching from plastic under UV light treatment". Another presentation was "Environmental Chemicals and Human Health" at the HEAL 2023 – Collective Action for Health, Environment and Climate, 2023 in Australia.

Workshop presentation

Ole Klein presenting at the "Microplastic 2024"

Ole Klein was given the chance to present the striking results of our UV-leaching experiments on October 29,2024 at the "Microplastics Meeting 2024" in Geesthacht.
He presented that it is crucial to examine the total elemental fingerprint of plastic products to better distinguish between intentionally added additives and possible contaminants or residues from plastic production.
These results will help better assess plastic leaches' potential risks and toxicity.

Treatment of seawater samples

Lars Hildebrandt presented "Development and Validation of Methods for the Sampling, Extraction and Analysis of Marine Microplastics" at the Agilent LDIR 8700 User Community Meeting 2023.

New paper out

Check out the latest paper: Plastic-Associated Chemicals: Late Lessons from Early Equilibrium Partitioning Science

Progress meeting @ Hereon

Project team at the progress meeting P-LEACH team joining the progress meeting in Geesthacht, with team Helgoland on Zoom as a result of the storm.

Thanks for all the updates presented in Geesthacht on July 6-7, and looking forward to our upcoming joint experiments!

New publication

New insights into the microbial communities on microplastic samples from the North Atlantic and Great Pacific Garbage Patches. Please see https://doi.org/10.5897/AJMR2022.9682.