STRENGTHENING PREPAREDNESS FOR PLASTIC PELLET SPILL EMERGENCIES IN THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT

forthcoming

The POLARIS project aims to enhance institutional preparedness and response as well as to population awareness to environmental emergencies caused by plastic pellet spills in European regions. Despite the increasing frequency of such events, current spill response frameworks lack dedicated, standardized procedures adapted to the specific behaviour and challenges posed by plastic pellets. To address these gaps, the project focuses on three key areas: i) enhancing operational response to accidental plastic pellet spills by advancing knowledge of pellet behaviour in marine environments through laboratory experiments, improving predictive short- and mid-term transport models, risk assessment, and optimizing monitoring and clean-up techniques; ii) developing guidelines, best practices, and digital tools for enhancing institutional preparedness, improving response coordination, and facilitating the effective management of volunteer efforts; iii) delivering training and capacity-building programs for authorities, operational responders, and journalists to reinforce institutional readiness, strengthen operational capacities, and promote effective risk communication strategies. As tangible outcomes, POLARIS will deliver, among others: i) a manual and a set of best-practice for local authorities; ii) an operational handbook for response teams; iii) hazard, vulnerability, and risk maps for plastic pellet spills; iv) digital tools to support the tracking of pellet pollution by operators, responders, and volunteer networks; v) a Web-based Decision Support System (POLARIS DSS) to support evidence-based risk management and decision-making; vi) pedagogical training scenarios simulating plastic pellet spill incidents to equip responders with best practices for efficient intervention; vii) specialized training modules for journalists aimed at raising public awareness; and viii) the organization of an international large-scale spill exercise incorporating virtual reality technologies