Polysistec participated in the Mermaids project in consortium with three European partners: CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche; Italy), PSF (Plastic Soup Foundation; Netherland) and LEITAT (Spanish Technological Center). The main objective of the project is to help mitigate the impact of micro particles (micro and/or nanoplastics) caused from clothes attrition during laundry washes.
These microparticles are released by waste water into the ecosystems of European rivers and seas and are ingested by marine species and organisms, giving rise to health problems, increasing marine litter and entering in the food chain.
The Polysistec role in Mermaids project is to define and study different types of textile auxiliaries to minimise the release of micro/nano plastics in industrial process and domestic washes.