The overall goal of MOMENTUM is to improve understanding of the potential health risks of micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs) and to support evidence-based strategies to reduce these risks. Under the MOMENTUM umbrella, multiple research projects have been carried out over time, each addressing different aspects of microplastics and human health.
How it started
In 2018, ZonMw launched the first call within the Microplastics & Health programme, supported by the Top Sector Life Sciences & Health (Health~Holland). This resulted in the funding of 15 multidisciplinary breakthrough projects aimed at jump-starting research into the potential health effects of MNPs. Although these one-year projects (2019–2020) delivered important first insights, they also made clear that many key questions remained unanswered and that sustained, long-term research and collaboration would be needed to better understand health effects, exposure routes, and possible solutions.
The first MOMENTUM project
This realisation led to the formation of the MOMENTUM consortium in 2021. Within this first MOMENTUM project, 14 of the original 15 breakthrough projects continued their research. The project was funded by ZonMw, the Life Sciences & Health Top Sector (Health~Holland), the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, and the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport, with additional co-funding from the consortium partners. MOMENTUM brought together Dutch and international research organisations, as well as partners from industry. During the MOMENTUM project, MoreMOMENTUM was introduced in 2022 as an integral part of the project. This additional funding by ZonMw strengthened MOMENTUM by intensifying efforts on several of its key objectives. Together, these projects formed MOMENTUM1.0 and ran from June 2021 to November 2024.
MOMENTUM 2.0
At the end of 2023, MOMENTUM received follow-up funding, enabling continued research under the name MOMENTUM 2.0. At the same time, seven additional projects were awarded funding. These projects focused on topics such as microplastics in the environment, consumer behaviour, interventions, and the development of standardised research methods. Together with MOMENTUM 2.0, the eight projects (collectively referred to as ‘MOMENTUM-NL’) worked closely to address the most pressing questions identified in the Knowledge Agenda 2020: “What are microplastics doing in our bodies?”
MOMENTUM 3.0
In 2025, the MOMENTUM 3.0 consortium received new funding from ZonMw. Building on existing research, this project focuses on five core areas: exposure routes, health effects, microbiological risks, risk assessment, and interventions. These priorities are based on a broad needs assessment conducted by ZonMw as part of the Knowledge Agenda 2025: “Microplastics in our bodies.”
More information about the history of the ZonMw Microplastics & Health programme can be found on Microplastics & Health | ZonMw.
