By Office of Communications and Public Affairs
The Office of Communications and Public Affairs at the Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) successfully hosted its inaugural AIT Expert Talk, “Microplastics: A Global Challenge with Local Solutions,” on 11 November 2025 at the AIT Library. The session highlighted AIT’s commitment to addressing emerging environmental challenges and fostering knowledge exchange among government agencies, academia, and the private sector.
Microplastics have become a major global concern due to their effects on water and air quality and their implications for human health. The Expert Talk aimed to enhance scientific understanding, encourage policy-driven discussions aligned with national frameworks and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and strengthen collaboration between government agencies, academic institutions, the private sector, and local communities.
In his welcome remarks, AIT President Prof. Pai-Chi Li stated, “This platform aims to bring AIT’s expertise to a wider audience and spark dialogue on today’s most pressing issues. This session on microplastics is both timely and essential, and I am grateful to our AIT experts and our panelists from the Pollution Control Department for joining us. I am confident that today’s discussion will be both inspiring and rewarding.”
The event featured two technical presentations and a panel discussion with Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul, Dr. Wenchao Xue, and Dr. Wimalin Klaewtanong from the Pollution Control Department (PCD).
Dr. Ekbordin Winijkul, Associate Professor and Head of the Water Resources and Environmental Engineering Department, presented a global perspective on microplastics and air pollution. He explained how plastics degrade into microscopic particles that disperse across regions and enter the human body through ingestion and inhalation, highlighting AIT’s research on airborne microplastics, monitoring techniques, seasonal trends, and associated health risks.
Dr. Wenchao Xue, Associate Professor in Environmental Engineering and Management, SET and Director of the Belt and Road Research Center, spoke on microplastics in Southeast Asia’s tropical urban waters. She emphasized the urgent need for better data and detection methods, drawing on AIT’s research on rivers, stormwater, and wastewater systems in Bangkok to show how microplastics travel through urban waterways.
During the panel discussion, Dr. Wimalin shared that the PCD is working to develop national guidelines for microplastic monitoring but faces challenges due to limited baseline data, inconsistent methodologies, and gaps in knowledge on health impacts. She noted ongoing collaborations with agencies such as DMCR and research institutions like AIT to build a national microplastics inventory covering freshwater, marine systems, and sediments.
Across the session, speakers stressed that microplastics pose a growing threat to air, water, and ecosystems, with health impacts that remain insufficiently understood. They emphasized the need for standardized monitoring, stronger research collaboration, and more comprehensive national data to guide effective environmental management.
Participants engaged actively during the Q&A session, contributing to further reflections on Thailand’s microplastic challenges and regional perspectives. The event concluded with closing remarks from Mr. Sanjeet Amatya, Director of Communications and Public Affairs, who reiterated AIT’s commitment to supporting scientific dialogue and cross-sectoral collaboration.
