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Insights into technical challenges in the field of microplastic pollution through the lens of early career researchers (ECRs) and a proposed pathway forward

Danopoulos, Evangelos; Stanton, Thomas; Ma, Yini; Horton, Alice A; Chen, Qiqing; Levermore, Joseph M; Li, Jiana; Mcgoran, Alexandra R; Lai, Yujian; Nolte, Stefanie; Li, Ruilong; Alvarez Barrantes, Lucrecia; Tu, Chen; Beaumont, Hazel; Williams, Ben; Hartl, Mark G J; Shi, Huahong; Rotchell, Jeanette M; Nel, Holly A

Insights into technical challenges in the field of microplastic pollution through the lens of early career researchers (ECRs) and a proposed pathway forward Thumbnail


Authors

Evangelos Danopoulos

Thomas Stanton

Yini Ma

Alice A Horton

Qiqing Chen

Joseph M Levermore

Jiana Li

Alexandra R Mcgoran

Yujian Lai

Stefanie Nolte

Ruilong Li

Lucrecia Alvarez Barrantes

Chen Tu

Profile image of Ben Williams

Dr Ben Williams Ben3.Williams@uwe.ac.uk
Senior Research Fellow in Air Quality Management

Mark G J Hartl

Huahong Shi

Jeanette M Rotchell

Holly A Nel



Abstract

Early career researchers (ECR) face a series of challenges related to the inherent difficulties of starting their careers. Microplastic (MP) research is a topical field attracting high numbers of ECRs with diverse backgrounds and expertise from a wealth of disciplines including environmental science, biology, chemistry and ecotoxicology. In this perspective the challenges that could hinder scientific, professional, or personal development are explored, as identified by an international network of ECRs, all employed in MP research, that was formed following a bilateral workshop for scientists based in the UK and China. Discussions amongst the network were grouped into four overarching themes of technical challenges: in the field, in the laboratory, in the post data collection phase, and miscellaneous. The three key areas of representativeness, access to appropriate resources, training, and clean labs, and the use of databases and comparability, as well as the overarching constraint of available time were identified as the source of the majority of challenges. A set of recommendations for pathways forward are proposed based on the principles of research openness, access to information and training, and widening collaborations. ECRs have great capacity to promote research excellence in the field of MPs and elsewhere, when provided with appropriate opportunities and suitable support.

Journal Article Type Article
Acceptance Date Nov 1, 2023
Online Publication Date Nov 17, 2023
Publication Date Nov 17, 2023
Deposit Date Nov 17, 2023
Publicly Available Date Nov 17, 2023
Journal Frontiers in Earth Science
Electronic ISSN 2296-6463
Publisher Frontiers Media
Peer Reviewed Peer Reviewed
Volume 11
Article Number 1271547
DOI https://doi.org/10.3389/feart.2023.1271547
Keywords Abbreviations: ATR, attenuated-total-reflectance; ECR, early career researchers; FTIR, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; HQI, Hit Quality Index; LOD, limit of detection; LOQ, limit of quantification; MP, microplastic; NSFC, Natural Science Foundation of China; OA, open access; PI, principal investigators Frontiers in Earth Science frontiersinorg 01 TYPE Perspective PUBLISHED
Public URL https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/11447265
Publisher URL https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2023.1271547/full

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