Faculty of Agriculture, Food and Environmental Sciences
Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Piacenza, Italy
10-12 September 2023

Conference abstract
Plastic materials are in most cases known for their high resistance to degradation processes, leading to their accumulation in the environment. Physical and biological agents can disaggregate plastics and bioplastics into micro-and nano-plastics, which pose potential toxicological and ecotoxicological issues. The identification and quantification of micro- and nano-plastics in complex matrixes such as soils, plants, foods and human tissues are uncertain, adding to the difficulty in understanding their potential risks. While plastic contamination in aquatic environments has been studied for decades, only recently the scientific community shifted its focus to terrestrial environments. Plastics and bioplastics contamination in agricultural affects physical, chemical and microbiological functions of soils. Crops can take up plastic particles that can enter the food chain, leading to toxicological effects that are still being investigated and clarified. As plastics are an unavoidable component of agri-food chains, understanding the risks and developing  mitigation strategies is crucial. The 1st International Conference on micro- and nano-plastics in the agri-food chains aims to gather international
experts for a state-of-the-art assessment over three days. The AGRIFOODPLAST conference will feature invited keynote speakers, sessions and workshops covering various aspects of micro- and nano-plastics, including their fate and modelling in terrestrial environments, their impact on soil functions, exposure assessment in food, their  toxicological and ecotoxicological effects in the agri-food chain, the available remediation technologies and a One-Health approach for assessing associated risks.

For more information please check the link website https://www.agrifoodplast.eu