In the Plastics in Local and Global Waters group, we investigate the exposure and effects of plastic pollution in aquatic environments, from biota to ecosystems. Micro- and nanoplastics accumulate in the environment due to inadequate waste management and accidental release, and can be ingested by aquatic species, potentially affecting their growth, reproduction, survival, and the population as a whole.
Our focus is currently on the effects assessment of (bio- and synthetic-based) plastic particle mixtures and environmental-relevant concentrations, which enable high-quality risk evaluations. To assess the extent to which plastic pollution affects organisms in realistic and broader scenarios, we further investigate the combined effects of environmental stressors, such as chemical pollution and climate change, with micro- and nanoplastics.
Our research group is furthermore interested in investigating plastic pollution remediation technologies, including their characteristics, challenges (potential impacts), and opportunities for cleaning up plastics from inland waterways and coastal environments.
We also collaborate in European and overseas citizen science projects related to plastic observations, aiming to raise awareness on plastic pollution, to promote ocean literacy and to engage society in scientific projects.
Contact: Dr Ana Isabel Catarino (ana.catarino@vliz.be) [Team Leader]
IMIS Ana Catarino
ORCID 0000-0002-8796-0869
ResearcherID J-9863-2014
Scopus Author 6602184499
ResearchGate Profile
Selected publications:
- Niu, Z.; Curto, M.; Le Gall, M.; Demeyer, E.; Asselman, J.; Janssen, C.; Dhakal, H.N.; Davies, P.; Catarino, A.I.; Everaert, G. (2024). Accelerated fragmentation of two thermoplastics (polylactic acid and polypropylene) into microplastics after UV radiation and seawater immersion. Ecotoxicol. Environ. Saf. 271: 115981. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2024.115981
- Catarino, A.I.; León, M.C.; Li, Y.; Lambert, S.; Vercauteren, M.; Asselman, J.; Janssen, C.; Everaert, G.; De Rijcke, M. (2023). Micro- and nanoplastics transfer from seawater to the atmosphere through aerosolization under controlled laboratory conditions. Mar. Pollut. Bull. 192: 115015. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2023.115015
- Catarino, A.I.; Mahu, E.; Severin, M.I.; Akpetou, K.L.; Annasawmy, P.A.; Asuquo, F.E.; Beckman, F.; Benomar, M.; Jaya-Ram, A.; Malouli, M.; Mees, J.; Monteiro, I.; Dwiga, J.; Silva, P.N.; Nubi, O.A.; Martin-Cabrera, P.; Sim, Y.K.; Sohou, Z.; Pinn, W.S.; Zizah, S.; Everaert, G.; Hwai, T.S.; Krug, L.A.; Seeyave, S. (2023). Addressing data gaps in marine litter distribution: Citizen science observations of plastic pollution in coastal ecosystems by high-school students. Front. Mar. Sci. 10: 1126895. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1126895
- Di Natale, M.; Catarino, A.I.; Summers, S.; Boyle, D.; Torri, M.; Nicosia, A.; Musco, M.; Masullo, T.; Russo, S.; Bennici, C.D.; Mazzola, A.; Cuttitta, A.; Henry, T.B. (2023). Influence of microplastic-associated biofilms on the bioavailability of a mixture of cadmium and benzo[a]pyrene by the analysis of biomarker gene expression in larval zebrafish. Ecol. Indic. 152: 110369. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.110369
- Leone, G.; Moulaert, I.; Devriese, L.I.; Sandra, M.; Pauwels, I.; Goethals, P.L.M.; Everaert, G.; Catarino, A.I. (2023). A comprehensive assessment of plastic remediation technologies. Environ. Int. 173: 107854. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envint.2023.107854
- Catarino, A.I.; Asselman, J.; Niu, Z.; Everaert, G. (2022). Micro- and nanoplastics effects in a multiple stressed marine environment. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 7: 100119. https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.hazadv.2022.100119
- Meyers, N.; Catarino, A.I.; Declercq, A.M.; Brenan, A.; Devriese, L.; Vandegehuchte, M.; De Witte, B.; Janssen, C.; Everaert, G. (2022). Microplastic detection and identification by Nile red staining: towards a semi-automated, cost- and time-effective technique. Sci. Total Environ. 823: 153441. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.153441
Projects
2021-2024, Decision support framework for plastic clean-up technologies in rivers and estuaries: minimizing unintentional bycatch while maintaining efficient plastic removal under realistic environmental conditions (PhD project of Giulia Leone), Supervisors: Peter Goethals (UGent), Ana I. Catarino (VLIZ), Gert Everaert (VLIZ), Ine Pauwels Ine (INBO), Funded by FWO (Research Foundation, Flanders)
2021-2023, COLLECT: Citizen Observation of Local Litter in Coastal ECosysTems, Principal Investigators: Ana I. Catarino (VLIZ), Edem Mahu (University of Ghana), Partnership for Observation of the Global Ocean (POGO), project funded by the Richard Lounsbery Foundation. Link: bit.ly/3md3dNS
2019-2023, Effects of Bio-based microplastic on marine species in a warming marine environment (PhD project of Zhiyue Niu), Supervisors: Ana I. Catarino (VLIZ), Gert Everaert (VLIZ), Jana Asselman (Ghent University), Colin Janssen (Ghent University)