PlastTrack at the 100% Climate Neutrality Conference – Making the invisible visible

Yesterday, the Clean project, Plasttrack, participated in a workshop on the analysis and reduction of micro- and nanoplastics in the marine environment. Plastic pollution was already on the agenda in Sønderborg in July, when the German research vessel Alkor docked in front of the Kulturhuset. Here, curious citizens could get up close to samples from the sea.

100% Climate Neutrality Conference 2025

The conference in Sønderborg is an international event focusing on how we can best work towards 100% climate neutrality – both locally and globally. Based in the Danish-German border region, the conference brings together researchers, decision-makers, businesses and municipalities for two days of knowledge sharing, networking and inspiration. At the conference in Alsion, the PlastTrack project will bring together a number of researchers and experts who will present the first results and technologies from the project – including analyses from the latest Alkor expedition.

Alkor

Alkor is a German research vessel owned by the German Ministry of Education and Research and operated by GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel. The ship functions as a floating laboratory and is specially designed for marine scientific expeditions – especially in the Baltic Sea and North Sea. On board, there is advanced equipment such as laboratories, pumps and sensors that make it possible to take samples of seawater, sediments and organisms and analyse, for example, micro- and nanoplastics. Alkor plays a central role in research projects such as PlastTrack, where researchers investigate the spread and consequences of plastic pollution in the marine environment.

Workshop på klimakonferencen – et dyk ned i data og metoder

Ved konferencen i Alsion samler PlastTrack en række forskere og eksperter, som præsenterer de første resultater og teknologier fra projektet – herunder analyser fra det seneste Alkor-togt.

We hope that our work will benefit society – and that it will spark interest among the citizens of Sønderborg in the research we are doing. At the same time, we would like to raise awareness about plastic pollution and how difficult it is to assess the extent of the pollution once plastic has been released into the environment. – Anja Engel, Professor of Marine Biogeochemistry, GEOMAR

PlastTrack er et dansk-tysk samarbejde støttet af Interreg Deutschland-Danmark. Projektet udvikler nye teknologiske løsninger, standarder og samarbejdsformer til at spore og reducere plast i havmiljøet – med fokus på nanoplast, der er så småt, at det kan trænge ind i celler og potentielt påvirke både økosystemer og menneskers helbred.

The sea knows no boundaries, which is why the project will also benefit other regions besides our own, says Martin Letz, Project Consultant, Germany – Denmark.

In connection with both the Alkor visit and the conference, a new project video will be launched, showing the researchers in action – from sampling in the sea to analyses with hyperspectral cameras and microscopes.

In July, the research vessel Alkor docked in front of the Culture House in Sønderborg as part of the PlastTrack project. For the first time, the public was invited to experience the research work with their own eyes: microscopes, sea samples, researchers from SDU, GEOMAR, AWI and NEWTEC were ready to demonstrate what microplastics and – in particular – nanoplastics are, and how these invisible particles are tracked and measured.

The day clearly showed why PlastTrack stands out: while many projects focus solely on microplastics, PlastTrack consistently works with nanoplastics, the smallest particles that can penetrate cells and potentially have a greater biological effect.

PlastTrack – Innovation across borders

With expertise in oceanography, nanotechnology and industrial engineering, PlastTrack builds bridges between science and industry to address one of the most pressing – and invisible – pollution challenges of our time. By developing reliable detection methods and a toolbox for environmental monitoring, the project supports smarter regulation, safer product design and a more sustainable future.

Learn more about the project