JSI & AUA Researchers Training at DTU Sustain
DTU Sustain Delivers Hands-On Training in Microplastic Detection and Polymer Identification for JSI and AUA Researchers
The three-week training program (27 October – 14 November 2025) at DTU Sustain aimed to provide the trainees (Janja Vidmar from JSI and Filippa Maniou from AUA) with practical skills for investigating the degradation, fragmentation, and formation of microplastics from conventional and biodegradable mulching films under controlled, environmentally relevant conditions. Microplastics generated during a six‑month soil degradation experiment with these films were characterized both quantitatively and chemically (polymer identification).
To achieve this, the trainees gained hands-on experience in visually inspecting plastic particles smaller than 2 mm, applying ATR-FTIR measurements (to characterize microplastics visible to the naked eye) and using a stereoscopic microscope (to detect microplastics not visible to the naked eye). In addition, the oleo-based extraction method was further refined during the training to enable the recovery of smaller microplastics from soil, which were subsequently analyzed using LDIR measurements. Through this process, the trainees also acquired practical expertise in conducting LDIR analyses as well as in processing and presenting the obtained results.