Secondary school students learn how to sample microplastics.

Ayam Sailing Europe organised a pedagogical trip for the European school of Mol (​esmol.net), and the Athénée Royal Louis Delattre ​(ardelattre.be) in the frame of the Erasmus+ project "The Pedagogical Sailboat". 

​The journey started with a visit to the ​University of Mons. Both students and teachers listened attentively to the explanations of Dr Samira Benali during the guided tour to the Laboratory of Polymeric and Composite Materials (LPCM).​

In the afternoon, the students visited a Waste Water Treatment Plant (WWTP). Dr Cédric Tarayre​ explained the students about the various processes like pasteurisation, anaerobic digestion, blending and dewatering​ of waste sludges.

The researchers from UMons and ASE demonstrated a sampling of microplastics in the river downstream the WWTP. This sampling was performed in the frame of a global project of the University of Birmingham called '100 plastic rivers'.
The students could then use the same protocol to sample microplastics directly at the effluent of the WWTP.​
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Visit to a WWTP before the sampling of microplastics