AURORA project
The Food Packaging Forum is a partner within the EU’s Horizon2020 research project AURORA that is investigating exposure to micro- and nanoplastics and their potential impacts on early-life health
About AURORA
The scale of micro- and nanoplastic (MNP) pollution is becoming increasingly clear, yet little is known about how this pollution impacts health. AURORA is a large-scale, EU-funded research project developing an actionable European roadmap for early-life health risk assessment of MNPs.
Supported by the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program, AURORA will focus on better understanding MNP exposures and toxicological and health effects during pregnancy, in utero, and in early life. These periods are critical for development and health later in life. MNPs have been detected in human placenta, making it likely that they can cross the placental barrier. This underscores the urgent need to understand any impacts of MNPs on reproductive and early-life health.
- Project Name: Actionable eUropean ROadmap for early-life health Risk Assessment of micro- and nanoplastics (AURORA)
- Focuses on researching early-life human health impacts from exposure to micro- and nanoplastics
- Started in April 2021 and runs for 5 years
- Involves a team from 11 partner organizations across 9 countries
- Is one of five Horizon 2020 projects within the CUSP research cluster investigating the health impacts of micro- and nanoplastics
Food Packaging Forum's Role
The Food Packaging Forum is co-leading AURORA’s work package on communication and dissemination as well as being an active member of the CUSP working group on communication and dissemination. This includes coordinating the development and management of AURORA’s digital presence and making research results accessible and actionable to external stakeholders including policymakers and the media. We are also actively involved in the scientific research within AURORA’s fifth work package on the risk assessment of micro- and nanoplastics.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under AURORA grant agreement No 964827.
