Researchers of the CHIASMA Partners NovaMechanics (NovaM) and University of Birmingham (UoB) have published a paper entitled ‘MicroPlasticTox and EffectFactorCalc web applications: life cycle impact assessment of microplastic pollution across freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems via the Enalos cloud platform’.
The paper presents two freely accessible web applications for assessing the ecological impacts of microplastics across freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems, by introducing MicroPlasticTox and EffectFactorCalc, which make computational approaches for microplastic impact assessment available through the Enalos Cloud Platform.
Connecting toxicity data with environmental impact assessment
The two applications support complementary steps in Life Cycle Impact Assessment (LCIA). EffectFactorCalc enables users to calculate effect factors, which express the potential ecological effects of microplastic exposure. MicroPlasticTox supports the calculation of characterisation factors and impact scores, helping users assess microplastic emissions within an LCIA framework. Together, the applications provide an accessible route from toxicity information to indicators of potential environmental impact.
The researchers demonstrate the tools through three case studies. These examine the aquatic impacts of polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE); explore how different emission scenarios influence assessments across environmental compartments; and assess the statistical significance of four physicochemical properties affecting microplastic fate and transport. The case studies check the accuracy and reliability of the model implementation while exploring its relevance to Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) considerations.
Accessible tools and reusable data
Both applications are freely available through the Enalos Cloud Platform and provide Application Programming Interfaces (APIs), enabling programmatic access and integration with other digital workflows. The underlying acute and chronic terrestrial microplastic toxicity dataset is hosted in the NanoPharos database. This combination supports Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) data management, making the data and computational tools easier to access and reuse.
Supporting safer and more sustainable materials
The work connects with CHIASMA’s ambition to integrate improved environmental safety assessment methods into life-cycle and sustainability assessments. By making microplastic impact calculations more accessible, the applications could support research on plastic pollution, inform SSbD considerations and contribute to regulatory decision-making. They provide assessment tools rather than regulatory conclusions: their contribution lies in helping users translate available data and defined emission scenarios into ecological impact indicators.
Publication details
Constantinos Papavasiliou, Dimitris G. Mintis, Andreas Tsoumanis, Athina Karaoli, Anastasios G. Papadiamantis, Chris T. Kiranoudis, Iseult Lynch, Georgia Melagraki, Mihalis Kavousanakis, Antreas Afantitis; MicroPlasticTox and EffectFactorCalc web applications: life cycle impact assessment of microplastic pollution across freshwater, marine and terrestrial ecosystems via the Enalos cloud platform. Digital Discovery 2026; 5 (8): 3224–3244. https://doi.org/10.1039/d6dd00161k.
