ACRONYM
MP-RAS

TITLE
Minimizing microplastic contamination in onshore (RAS) meagre farming

PROJECT CODE
PT-INNOVATION-0063

PROGRAMME
EEA Grants – Blue Growth (SGS#1 – Initiatives for business growth in Startups Supported)

BENEFICIARY ORGANISATIONS
SEAentia; SINTEF, A.S.; IPMA – Instituto Português do Mar e Atmosfera, I.P.

LEADING INSTITUTION
SEAentia-food, Lda.

DATE OF APPROVAL
04 March 2021

PERIOD
04 March 2021 – 31 January 2023

MP-RAS: Minimizing microplastic contamination in onshore (RAS) meagre farming

Microplastics (MPs) in the marine ecosystem are a growing threat to food biosecurity, altering the composition of marine ecosystems, harming all the living specimens that inhabit them and potentially affecting human health.

Aquaculture research can provide a deeper understanding of this global issue, revealing fundamental information to improve production techniques and ensure higher-quality products for the end consumer.

SEAentia believes that aquaculture research is key to solving and/or minimizing global problems that endanger marine ecosystems, improving animal production techniques, and ensuring the delivery of higher-quality products to the end consumer.

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MP-RAS

Minimizing microplastic contamination in onshore (RAS) meagre farming, with financial support from EEA Grants, investigated the role of RAS in mitigating the presence of microplastics (MPs) in farmed meagre, amidst concerns about the increasing threat of these
pollutants to food safety. As environmental levels of MPs rise, affecting species consumed by humans, this study has been benchmarking the MPs concentrations in meagre raised by SEAentia against those found in commercially available fish. The research extends to analyzing the fatty acid composition, focusing on EPA and DHA levels, and surveying additional pollutant concentrations. These efforts aim to quantify the toxic load of MPs and enhance the RAS’s capacity for their eradication.

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MP-RAS

MP-RAS: “Minimising microplastic contamination in land-based corvina (RAS) production”, in partnership with SINTEF and IPMA, is funded by EEA Grants under the Blue Growth Programme, managed by DGPM.

Through the Agreement on the European Economic Area (EEA), Iceland, Liechtenstein and Norway are partners in the internal market with the Member States of the European Union. As a way of promoting a continuous and balanced strengthening of economic and trade relations, the parties to the EEA Agreement established a multi-annual financial mechanism, known as EEA Grants.

The EEA Grants aim to reduce social and economic disparities in Europe and strengthen bilateral relations between these three countries and the beneficiary countries. For the 2014-2021 period, a total contribution of 2.8 billion euros has been agreed for 15 beneficiary countries. Portugal will benefit from an amount of 102.7 million euros. Find out more at eeagrants.gov.pt.

SINTEF is responsible for quantifying the PMs present in the water samples collected, and IPMA is responsible for quantifying the PMs present in fish tissues.

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Microplastics

Microplastics in the marine ecosystem are a growing threat to food biosafety.

The problem is related to the number of existing microplastics that alter the composition of marine ecosystems, harming the living beings that inhabit them and potentially affecting human health. These pollutants are reshaping the composition of marine ecosystems, posing risks to their living organisms and, by extension, to human health.

Exposure and contamination of fish and other marine products by MPs has increased worldwide and holds two major concerns for aquaculture:

Intervention on normal fish growth and reproduction, thus impacting productive capacity
Potential for negative health impacts on humans consuming MP-contaminated seafood

Implementing RAS for marine fish farming could offer a safeguard for consumers. The water used in the system undergoes various treatment stages, including ultrafiltration through a membrane that retains particles larger than 0.02 μm, significantly reducing the likelihood of fish contamination by exogenous MPs.

Results

We are currently evaluating the findings of this research and plan to share the details on this platform soon. Keep an eye out for the updates.

Contact us!

We’re happy to answer any questions you may have about the project. Do you have a similar project in progress? We’d be delighted to meet you and there may even be the possibility of collaborating in the future. If you’re interested in visiting our facilities, we can also arrange a visit!