The revision of the EU Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive requires large wastewater treatment plants to be retrofitted with a so-called fourth purification stage against micropollutants. The removal of microplastics is not regulated.. One reason: comprehensive monitoring is lacking, although data sets - especially for micropollutants - exist. The problem: no comparability due to a mix of methods or simply too few measuring points. The financing of the necessary treatment plant expansion is also highly controversial. Find out more in the latest blog.

The EU works on standardization of microplastic detection methods, but regulations and control are still inadequate. One thing is clear: wastewater treatment needs innovations and long-term data. This will create economic opportunities through circular economy.

SPIONs and magnetic nanoparticles are being hailed as the solution to microplastics. But "smart rust" could be more dangerous than the original problem. Why nanotechnology is threatening biodiversity and real alternatives are being ignored.

The much-cited claim that we are ingesting "5 g microplastics per week = 1 credit card" is based on a methodologically questionable WWF study from 2019. Marketing systematically misuses this unvalidated figure for product advertising and donations, even though more recent studies show significantly lower figures. Real solutions need solid science instead of shock figures.