Knowledge and results after three years with the FanpLESStic-Sea project

Microplastics are all around us, but the understanding about sources and pathways of microplastics must increase. Focus of the FanpLESStic-Sea project has been to raise knowledge and decreasing the microplastic pollution in the Baltic Sea.

Pilot plant in Gdansk: Constructed wetland system for stormwater

FanpLESStic-Sea run from 2019-2021 with support from the EU Interreg program. Project partners in Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland and Russia have been working together for a better environment in the Baltic Sea.

Pilots on microplastics removal technologies

Different methods for filtering microplastics from waste water and stormwater have been evaluated in five different pilot plants in partnering countries. The piloting techniques are evaluated in the report  Piloting technologies for microplastics removal from urban waters.

Mapping flows for a model city

Emma Fältström, Sweden Water Research PhD candidate is investigating the sources of microplastic pollution. In the report Mapping flows for a model city, she accounts for the sources, pathways, and recipients of microplastics in a flow model for a hypothetical model city. The results show that the largest source to urban waters in terms of mass are tyre wear particles. For wastewater the highest load came from laundry. Tap water, dust, and roof runoff all made a small contribution to the overall load to urban waters.

More reports and fact sheets

All project documentation has been collected on the project homepage, including fact sheets that summarizes research and results.

FanpLESStic-Sea outputs and reports

About the project

The project received financial support from the EU Interreg programme between 2019-2021.

Partners:

  • Sweden Water Research (NSVA, Sydvatten, VA SYD)
  • Aalborg university, Denmark
  • Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE), Finland
  • Baltic Marine Environment Protection Commission – Helsinki Commission (HELCOM), Finland
  • Latvian Institute of Aquatic Ecology (LIAE), Latvia
  • Siauliai Chambers of Commerce, Industry and Crafts (SCCIC), Lithuania
  • Salt Lofoten AS (SALT), Norway
  • Gdansk Water Utilities Ltd. (GIWK), Poland
  • Gdansk Water Ltd. (GW), Poland
  • State Autonomous Institution of the Kaliningrad region “Environmental Center “ECAT-Kaliningrad” (ECAT), Russia
  • Luleå University of Technology, Sweden