On 9th and 10th July 2019, ten German and ten Chinese microplastics experts and about 30 guests participated in the Sino-German "Symposium on Occurrence and Fate of Microplastics in Urban Spaces" in Beijing. The symposium aimed to present the current state of knowledge about the occurrence, fate, and effects of microplastics (MP) in urban areas as well as to show knowledge gaps and future challenges. In addition to the significance of the negative impact of MP in the environment, new questions about MP-associated pollutants and future research focus on nanoplastics, biodegradable polymers were also presented as a possible alternative to conventional plastic. The scientific discussions that followed enabled an excellent interdisciplinary exchange of knowledge.
We would like to thank all participants for the very successful event, the School of Environment for the organization on-site, and the Sino-German Center for Research Promotion (SGC) for enabling and funding the symposium.
