In an article published on May 28, 2022, in the journal Microplastics and Nanoplastics, Leah M. Thornton Hampton from the Southern California Coastal Water Research Project, Costa Mesa, US, and her 17 co-authors from research institutions across the US, Canada, and Europe, present the Toxicity of Microplastics Explorer (ToMEx) – an open access and open source living database on microplastics effects on both humans and aquatic organisms. The ToMEx database shall assist scientists and environmental managers across the globe to keep up with microplastic research that is rapidly evolving.
According to the knowledge of Thornton Hampton and co-authors, “ToMEx is the largest, most detailed collection of open access microplastics toxicity data.” However, they emphasized that the database currently only includes data published by the end of 2020 and is not yet complete. Therefore, they ask the microplastic community, to continuously upload the data from their peer-reviewed toxicity studies, which will be checked by two or more independent researchers before being added to the database.
Concerning applications, the authors suggest that the database may be used by researchers to extract, analyze, and visualize their research data, and to identify understudied research fields, as well as relevant experimental doses and toxicity pathways. The ToMEx application could also inform risk assessment and management of plastic pollution, assisting in addressing global regulatory needs. ToMEx was created to support California in developing health-based microplastic thresholds and to inform “the legislative mandates of California’s Senate Bills 1422 and 1263.”
The two bills, 1422 and 1263, from 2018 required the development of a statewide microplastics strategy, and implementation of annual testing of microplastics in drinking water. The California Ocean Protection Council published the microplastics strategy in March 2022 to guide Californian policy for the next four years, but it is now up to state agencies and the legislature to turn the recommendation into actions (FPF reported, also here).
Reference
Thornton Hampton L., M. P. et al. (2022). “A living tool for the continued exploration of microplastic toxicity.” Microplastics and Nanoplastics. DOI: 10.1186/s43591-022-00032-4.
