Section one: Contracting authority/entity
one.1) Name and addresses
Cefas
Pakefield Road
Lowestoft
NR33 0HT
Telephone
+44 1502527766
Country
United Kingdom
NUTS code
UKH1 - East Anglia
Internet address(es)
Main address
Section two: Object
two.1) Scope of the procurement
two.1.1) Title
CEFAS21-138 ITT (OCPP) 2x micro-FTIRs for Belize
two.1.2) Main CPV code
- 38510000 - Microscopes
two.1.3) Type of contract
Supplies
two.1.4) Short description
There is a growing concern about the widespread occurrence and abundance of microplastics (particles below 5 mm in size) and their unknown environmental effects. To date, there is no widely accepted protocols for the extraction and detection of microplastics in environmental compartments (sediment, biota and water). Cefas has developed a fast screening method for microplastics in environmental compartments but is currently lacking the capability for particle characterisation for the smaller sized items (below 500 m in size). This capability is required for the accurate investigation in microplastic concentrations and composition that is essential to assess their behaviour in the environment and the risks for biota and human health related to exposure. Tight deadlines to deliver national and international projects is creating an urgent necessity to process samples quickly to cope with the high volume. However, gains in time-efficiency in the data acquisition have usually resulted in a reducing spatial resolution. Therefore, the ability to rapidly process whilst maintaining accuracy and spatial resolution is a critical requirement for this application.
As a result, the marine litter team at Cefas Lowestoft Laboratory requires a 2x fully motorised micro-FTIR’s in order to carry out analysis on microplastics particles. The units will be housed at the University of Belize and Department for the Environment (addresses below) and therefore will required to be delivered and installed in Belize. The main objective is the quantification and characterisation of extracted particles onto filters from sediment, biota and water samples quickly, efficiently and accurately.
Section six. Complementary information
six.6) Original notice reference
Notice number: 2021/S 000-030748
Section seven. Changes
seven.1.2) Text to be corrected in the original notice
Section number
IV.2.2
Instead of
Date
10 January 2022
Local time
4:00pm
Read
Date
14 January 2022
Local time
11:00am