NEWS: TETHYS4ADRION Presented in RTV Slovenia’s Podcast “Podobe znanja”

Dr. Andrej Kržan, coordinator of the TETHYS4ADRION project on behalf of the lead partner, the National Institute of Chemistry from Slovenia, was a guest on Friday, August 29, 2025, on the podcast “Podobe znanja” on RTV Slovenija. Dr. Kržan spoke about the growing problem of plastic pollution in rivers and seas and the efforts to reduce and prevent this phenomenon in the Adriatic-Ionian region through the TETHYS4ADRION project.

Dr. Kržan has been studying microplastics for over 20 years. He reflected on the early research into plastic pollution in the Adriatic Sea and on the research expeditions he led with students 15 years ago, noting that they already found plastic samples at that time, even though public awareness was limited. Today, he emphasizes, microplastics are found everywhere in our environment, including in the corners of our homes. He believes significant progress has been made, and awareness is much higher today. However, the amount of plastic in use has also increased dramatically, with exponential growth trends—posing a challenge that still needs to be addressed.

He stressed that cleaning the seas alone will not provide long-term solutions, as rivers are the main pathways through which plastic reaches the sea. Therefore, plastic must be stopped at its source, which is the key focus of the TETHYS4ADRION project. In addition to addressing plastic pollution, Dr. Kržan spoke about cross-border cooperation between EU countries and EU candidate countries within the TETHYS4ADRION, which is crucial for a comprehensive understanding and solution to the problem.

You can listen to the podcast in Slovenian here.

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