Professional summary

As the Principle Investigator for the UKCEH Microplastics Analysis Facility, Richard Cross leads the development of new methodologies for the detection and characterisation of microplastics and nanoplastics in environmental samples. Richard's research in ecotoxicology and the environmental sciences is focused on exploring the exposure and effects of particulate pollutants such as nanomaterials and microplastics upon the natural world.

This work has focused on understanding the specific fate and behaviours of engineered nanomaterials and micro/nanoplastics and how this relates to their biological interactions. In particular, he is interested in how we can establish robust and reproducible methods to quantify plastic pollution in the environment so that the evidence base for possible policy and societal interventions is sound.

Richard is lucky enough for his work to take him out of the office from time-to-time (though usually to sewage treatment works), developing representative approaches to monitoring and characterising plastic contamination in the environment.

Another topic of interest for Richard is how we can take myriad and complex scientific findings and translate this into pragmatic and effective ways to understand risk and protection of the environment. In recent projects e.g. European Union’s Horizon2020 projects GRACIOUS and SAbyNA, Richard has taken a keen interest in how we think about grouping of chemicals and materials for risk assessment, with the principle of the 3Rs in mind to reduce and perform more humane animal testing, and applying such new approach methodologies in the context of safety and sustainability by design of materials.

Memberships: SETAC Europe. Royal Society of Chemistry Affiliate Membership. Committee member of BSI EH/003/06/04 Microplastics in water, providing UK input into microplastics work programme under the Water Quality - ISO/TC147/SC6/WG16 & ISO/TC147/SC2/JWG1. Member of ad-hoc Microplastics Expert Group under CEN-TC444 “Environmental characterization of solid matrices". Member of the UK Exposure Science Society. 

Selected publications

Cross Richard K. et al. , (2025), Ensuring representative sample volume predictions in microplastic monitoring. Microplastics and Nanoplastics, 5, https://doi.org/10.1186/s43591-024-00109-2

Cross Richard K. et al. , (2024), An integrated approach to testing and assessment (IATA) to support grouping and read-across of nanomaterials in aquatic systems. Nano Today, 54, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.nantod.2023.102065

Cross Richard et al. , (2022), Assessing the similarity of nanoforms based on the biodegradation of organic surface treatment chemicals. NanoImpact, 26, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.impact.2022.100395

Billings Alex et al. , (2023), Co-occurrence of macroplastics, microplastics, and legacy and emerging plasticisers in UK soils. Science of the Total Environment, 880, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.163258

Adediran Gbotemi A. et al. , (2024), Fate and behaviour of microplastics (> 25 µm) within the water distribution network, from water treatment works to service reservoirs and customer taps. Water Research, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2024.121508

Horton Alice A. et al. , (2021), Semi-automated analysis of microplastics in complex wastewater samples. Environmental Pollution, 268, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2020.115841

Primpke Sebastian et al. , (2020), Toward the systematic identification of microplastics in the environment: evaluation of a new independent software tool (siMPle) for spectroscopic analysis. Applied Spectroscopy, 74, 1127-1138, https://doi.org/10.1177/0003702820917760

Valentine Katey et al. , (2022), Caddisfly larvae are a driver of plastic litter breakdown and microplastic formation in freshwater environments. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 41, 3058-3069, http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/etc.5496

Lahive Elma et al. , (2022), Earthworms ingest microplastic fibres and nanoplastics with effects on egestion rate and long-term retention. Science of the Total Environment, 807, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151022

Cross Richard K. et al. , (2019), The fate of cerium oxide nanoparticles in sediments and their routes of uptake in a freshwater worm. Nanotoxicology, http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17435390.2019.1593540