PlastInLyon

The Lyon network for research on plastic pollution and its impacts

Bringing together researchers, post-doctoral fellows, doctoral students, and interns interested in plastic pollution, the network's overall objective is to build a multidisciplinary scientific community to break down barriers to communication and thus promote collaboration, the sharing of knowledge, protocols, and material resources throughout the Lyon metropolitan area, as well as the emergence of training opportunities on these issues.

Microplastics visible in sediments collected using the Bou-Rouch pump

Network activities and events

PlastInLyon's activities are organized around webinars held every two months, which address the topic of plastics through a variety of questions. An annual day allows network members to come together for presentations and workshops to promote the emergence of new ideas and the joint development of projects.

In this section, you will find a selection of publications from the PlastInLyon community since 2023.
For any additions, please contact h2olyon@univ-lyon1.fr.

2025

• Barthelemy, N., Mermillod-Blondin, F., Espeyte, A., Wazne, M., Hervant, F., Broillet, G., ... & Datry, T. (2025). Increased assimilation efficiency and mortality rate in Gammarus fossarum exposed to PVC microplastics. Environmental Pollution, 372, 126029.
• Mostefaoui, O., Iannuzzi, Z., Lopez, D., Mignot, E., Lipeme-Kouyi, G., Bayard, R., ... & Mourier, B. (2025). Quantitative study of microplastic degradation in urban hydrosystems: comparing in situ environmentally aged microplastics vs. artificially aged materials generated via accelerated photo-oxidation. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 486, 137087.
• Touchet, C. M., Mermillod-Blondin, F., Dolédec, S., Quiñones-Rivera, Z. J., Guillard, L., Volatier, L., ... & Simon, L. (2025). Combined effects of application-specific plastic composition and environmental conditions on algal pigments and microbial activity of freshwater biofilms. Environmental Pollution, 127323.
• Wazne, M., Simon, L., Krause, S., Vallier, M., Dendievel, A. M., Touchet, C. M., ... & Mermillod-Blondin, F. (2025). Microplastics storage at the sediment-water interface in a gravel-bed river: Importance of local hydro-sedimentary conditions in downwelling, upwelling, and sedimentation zones. Water Research, 279, 123433.

2024

• Barthelemy, N., Mermillod-Blondin, F., Krause, S., Simon, L., Mimeau, L., Devers, A., ... & Datry, T. (2024). The duration of dry events promotes PVC film fragmentation in intermittent rivers. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(28), 12621-12632.
• Mostefaoui, O., Lopez, D., Mignot, E., & Massardier-Nageotte, V. (2024). Custom-made spherical fluorescent tracer particles for laser Velocimetry Laboratory Experiments. Flow Measurement and Instrumentation, 99, 102665.

2023

• Dendievel, A. M., Wazne, M., Vallier, M., Mermillod-Blondin, F., Mourier, B., Piégay, H., ... & Simon, L. (2023). Environmental and land use controls of microplastic pollution along the gravel-bed Ain River (France) and its “Plastic Valley”. Water research, 230, 119518.
• Wazne, M., Mermillod-Blondin, F., Vallier, M., Hervant, F., Dumet, A., Nel, H. A., ... & Simon, L. (2023). Microplastics in freshwater sediments impact the role of a main bioturbator in ecosystem functioning. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(8), 3042-3052.

Ongoing theses

• Lizeth Cardoza Pedroza - Understanding micro and nano-plastics transport across the vadose zone: integrating laboratory experiments and modeling to unravel transport processes, LEHNA, ENTPE (start of thesis on 5th December 2023), DN PlasticUnderground
• Petros Mecaj - Microplastic Transfer Through Infiltration Practices and Their Impacts on the Ecological Functioning of Water-Sediment Interface and Groundwater Quality, LEHNA, Université Claude Bernard – Lyon1 (start of thesis on 7th December 2023), DN PlasticUnderground
• Léa Davy - Study of the behavior of model plastic micro-particles in urban rainwater management systems - storm overflows, DEEP-ILM, INSA de Lyon (start of thesis on 16th September 2024), ANR Transplast
• Apoline Zahorka - Impact of river morphology on residence time and fragmentation of macroplastics, LEHNA, ENTPE (start of thesis on 1st September 2025)
• Soline Lelay - Assessment of microplastic pollution in Guyanese hydrosystems, LEHNA, ENTPE, Riverly INRAE (start of thesis on 1st October 2025)
• Simon Douai - Improving the characterisation of microplastics and plastic additives in the environment. ISA - LEHNA, Université Claude Bernard – Lyon1 (start of thesis on 1st October 2025)

Defended theses

• Zoé Iannuzi - Identification of sources and pathways of microplastics pollution in an urban hydrosystem, DEEP, INSA de Lyon
  Thesis defended on 15th December 2025
• Okba Mostefaoui - Experimental study of the transport of model plastic microparticles in an open channel bifurcation flow, LMFA - ILM, INSA de Lyon
  Thesis defended on 23th April 2025
• Nans Barthelemy - The fate and ecological consequences of microplastics in non-perennial streams, LEHNA, Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1, Riverly INRAE
  Thesis defended on 2nd April 2025
• Camille Touchet - Impacts of plastics on freshwater microbial communities and their primary consumers, LEHNA, Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1
  Thesis defended on 9th January 2025
• Mohammad Wazne - Distribution of microplastics in river sediments and consequences on bioturbation associated ecosystem processes, LEHNA, Université Claude Bernard - Lyon 1
  Thesis defended on 19th September 2023

• Transplast (2024-2029): the Transplast project, jointly supported by 5 Lyon laboratories (DEEP, LEHNA, IMP-INSA, LMFA, LMI), focuses on the study of microplastic transport in storm drains. Project funded by the ANR.
• PlasticUnderground (2022-2026): The PlasticUnderground Doctoral Network, coordinated by LEHNA and the University of Birmingham, is a multidisciplinary and cross-sectoral research training network whose objective is to prepare an international cohort of 14 doctoral students to develop solutions to the emerging crisis of plastic pollution in soil and groundwater. Project funded by the EU HE MSCA.
• Plastisol (2022-2025): the fate of microplastics in soil – What indicators of sources, levels, and impacts on soil quality and health?
• SediPlast (2019-2025): The Sedi-PLAST project “Microplastics (MP) in continental sediments and sedimentary archives” proposes combining a sedimentological approach with the analysis of microplastics (MP) in sediments.
• AquaPlast (2019-2024): The Aquaplast project, jointly led by LEHNA and the University of Birmingham, focused on understanding the fate, transfer, and accumulation of microplastics in hydrosystems, as well as their impact on the functioning of continental aquatic ecosystems. Project funded by the IDEXLyon program.
• MicroplasticRivers (2022-2023): Development of a harmonized methodology for measuring microplastic concentrations and flows along the Rhône-Mediterranean continuum. Marina Coquery (Riverly), ZABR/AE RMC project.

Webinar: “The Role of Scientists in the United Nations Global Plastics Treaty”

• Plastics, Environment, and Health Research Group (PES) 

Mohammad WAZNE, founder of PlastInLyon, postdoctoral researcher LEHNA,
Nans BARTHELEMY, postdoctoral researcher LEHNA,
Léa DAVY, doctoral student DEEP - IMP,
Okba MOSTEFAOUI, postdoctoral researcher DEEP PEPR VDBI,
Laurent SIMON, MCF LEHNA,
Laurence VOLATIER, CR LEHNA,