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For the second time, scientists from the PlastTrack project are conducting an expedition to record and quantify the distribution of plastic particles in the western Baltic Sea. They want to gain a better understanding of where the plastic particles come from, how they are transported in the water and what impact they have.

The AL635 expedition is part of the Interreg 6A project PlastTrack (Technological platform for micro- and nanoplastics tracking), in which ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel is collaborating with the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) and the University of Southern Denmark (SDU), among others. The aim of the project is to record plastic pollution caused by micro and nanoplastic particles (MNP) in the Baltic Sea and to test and further develop new methods.

In the sea, plastic particles are found both on the surface and at the bottom of the deepest oceans, and ocean currents transport them all over the world. Thousands of tons of plastic end up in the Baltic Sea every year. Sampling showed microplastics in 28 percent of all fish examined. Tiny plastic particles (microplastics) are produced for various consumer applications, such as cleaning agents, or come from the decomposition processes of larger pieces of plastic. When they decompose into nanoplastics, they can also penetrate cell membranes and thus enter the bodies of living organisms directly.

Methods for sampling plastic particles

During the expedition, various methods will be used to sample microplastics. For example, the Neuston catamaran can be used to take samples near the water surface, as some plastic particles are light and float in salt water. Other instruments can take sinking particles from deeper water layers or filter different particle sizes from the water. Some of the samples are analyzed directly on board using special cameras or spectroscopic measurements. Further methods are then used in the laboratories at home to analyze very small particles in particular. 

Challenges in detecting micro- and nanoplastics

Expedition leader Prof. Dr. Anja Engel, Professor of Biological Oceanography and Head of the Marine Biogeochemistry Research Unit at ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ, explains: "Nano-particles are 1000 times smaller than microplastics and can no longer be seen with the naked eye. We are currently unable to identify nanoparticles in the environment because there is a lack of standardized methods for sampling these small particles, especially in the sea. In the PlastTrack project, we are working on solutions and methods to detect microplastics and nanoplastics in the environment more quickly and in a more targeted way," says Anja Engel.

From Kiel via Flensburg to Sonderburg and Apenrade

The route runs clockwise through the German-Danish border region of the western Baltic Sea: after starting in Kiel, the ALKOR will sail along the Schleswig-Holstein coast to the Flensburg Fjord. The northernmost stop will be Apenrade, before sailing around the Danish island of Als and along the Schleswig-Holstein coast back to Kiel. 
There will be a stopover in Sonderburg on Friday, July 4. In the afternoon, the research vessel will moor at the pier in front of the Multikulturhuset cultural center, where there will be an exhibition and a hands-on station. Anyone interested is invited to find out more about the researchers' work.
 

Background: PlastTrack

The PlastTrack project is funded by the European Union as part of Interreg Deutschland-Danmark with around 1.74 million. ºÚÁÏÊÓƵ is collaborating with the Mads Clausen Institute and the Danish Molecular Biomedical Imaging Center from Denmark, as well as the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Center for Polar and Marine Research (AWI). Since 2023, the researchers have been investigating the dangers of plastic pollution for humans and the environment and developing instruments to combat it. The aim is to create an open platform that compares and evaluates the data collected. For example, new tools will help to improve sampling and monitor the transformation and degradation of materials.

The expedition at a glance:

Name: ALKOR AL635 (as part of PlastTrack)

Expedition leader: Prof. Dr. Anja Engel

Period: 30.06.2025 – 11.07.2025

Start and end: Kiel

Cruising area: Western Baltic Sea