Building a UK knowledge exchange network to progress research and wider stakeholder understanding of microplastics as an environmental pollutant

微塑料（尺寸小于5毫米的塑料）被归类为“新兴污染物”和日益受到关注的污染物。人们对微塑料是如何进入环境的、它们进入环境后的行为以及对生态系统规模的潜在影响知之甚少。众所周知，微塑料在某些情况下会造成生态危害，但其长期影响尚不清楚。自2004年开始对微塑料的研究以来，研究领域有了显著的发展，但关于微塑料的存在、来源和影响仍然存在许多问题。为了解决这些问题，人们已经认识到需要跨学科的努力。利益相关者开始举行有针对性的会议，以确定技能需求、技术能力和想法的发展，但这些会议的结果没有广泛传播，因此外联有限。因此，有必要在利益相关者群体之间进行协调，以便更有效地进行知识交流和跨学科讨论。我经常参加相关会议，因此，我意识到阻碍小组之间沟通的差距，并清楚地看到如何建立联系。面对将影响政府机构和商业企业（如供水公司）的新政策和法规，利益相关者之间的沟通尤为重要。这项奖学金将使我能够与广泛的利益相关者互动并团结起来，以确定如何最好地解决各方（政府、商业、非政府组织、学术界）的关切和利益，同时允许进行相关和互利的研究。要了解微塑料是一种污染物，需要进行大量的研究工作，以确定它们可能对环境、生态和社会产生影响的方式。网络的形成将允许使用参与式方法发展研究想法，以确定哪些知识最能支持它们的需求，以及它们的客户或资助者愿意（并有动力）支持哪些知识。这种综合方法将使研究领域得到有价值的发展，从而建立互惠关系。基于已确定的所需知识与正在进行的研究之间的差异，该奖学金还旨在编制不同层次的指导文件和报告，以供各利益攸关方使用，传播有关微塑料的相关信息，并解决研究中公认的不一致之处。这将包括对现有知识状况的审查，以及一份方法指导报告和资料传单。所产生的产出将以各种方式传播，包括根据出版物酌情通过邮件列表、维基页面、社会媒体和利益攸关方网站。作为英国领先的环境研究委员会，NERC已经资助了许多微塑料项目，从博士项目到大规模的多方合作项目（例如，评估废水处理过程中工业和家庭产品中产生的微塑料的命运，重点主题：纳米塑料，海洋中微观塑料碎片的生物利用度和生物效应）。近年来，NERC在该领域的高质量研究方面取得了良好的声誉。然而，如果没有适当的传播，这些项目的结果将无法到达可能从这些数据中受益的更广泛的非学术受众。总而言之，该奖学金将汇集利益相关者，提高对微塑料知识和沟通需求的认识。该网络将围绕需要解决的问题展开对话，确定如何最好地解决这些问题（导致应用），加强和发展利益相关者之间的沟通，并最终为所有利益相关者带来经济利益。

Microplastics (plastics <5mm in size) are classified as an 'emerging contaminant' and a pollutant of growing concern. Little is known about how microplastics enter the environment, their behaviour once there and the potential for ecosystem-scale effects. It is understood that microplastics can cause ecological harm under certain circumstances, but the long-term effects of this are as-yet unknown. Since research into microplastics began in 2004, the field of research has grown significantly, but many questions about presence, sources and effects still remain. To address these questions, it has been recognised that interdisciplinary effort is required. Stakeholders are beginning to hold targeted meetings to identify skill needs, technical capabilities and development of ideas, however the outcomes of these meetings are not widely disseminated and thus outreach is limited. There is therefore a need for coordination between stakeholder groups to allow for more efficient exchange of knowledge and inter-disciplinary discussions. I am a regular attendee at relevant meetings and, as such, I am aware of the gaps impeding communications between groups and can see clearly how connections can be built. Inter-stakeholder communications are especially important in the face of emerging policies and regulations that will affect governmental bodies and commercial businesses (e.g. water companies). This fellowship will allow me to interact with, and unite, a wide range of stakeholders to determine how best to address the concerns and interests of all parties (government, commercial, NGOs, academics), while allowing for relevant and mutually beneficial research to be undertaken. To understand microplastics as a pollutant, enormous research effort is needed to ascertain the ways in which they might have environmental, ecological and societal effects. The formation of a network would allow development of research ideas using a participatory approach to determine what knowledge best supports their requirements and what their customers or funders are willing (and motivated) to support. This integrated approach will allow for valuable development of the research field, allowing reciprocal relationships to be built.Based on the identified discrepancies between the knowledge required and ongoing research, this fellowship also aims to produce guidance documents and reports, pitched at different levels for accessibility across the range of stakeholders, to disseminate relevant information on microplastics and address recognised inconsistencies in the research. This will include a review of the current state of the knowledge, in addition to a methodological guidance report and informative leaflets. Outputs produced will be disseminated in a variety of ways including via a mailing list, a Wiki page, social media and stakeholder websites, as appropriate depending on the publication.As the leading UK council for environmental research NERC is already funding a number of microplastics projects ranging from PhD projects to large-scale multi-partner projects (e.g. assessing the fate of microplastics derived from industrial and domestic products in the waste water treatment process, Highlight Topic: nanoplastics, bioavailability and biological effects of microscopic plastic debris in the ocean). Within recent years, NERC has developed a reputation for high-quality research in this field. However, without the appropriate dissemination, the results of these projects will not reach the broader non-academic audience that might benefit from the data. In summary, this fellowship will bring together stakeholders to raise awareness of the knowledge and communication needs surrounding microplastics. This network will open up dialogue surrounding the issues that need to be addressed, identify how best to address these (leading to application), strengthen and develop communications between stakeholders and ultimately lead to economic benefits for all stakeholders.