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ICU Professor Makito Kobayashi and Others Receive the Best Academic Paper Award from the Kanagawa Society of Physical Education, Health, and Sports Sciences for 2024

Update: October 25, 2024

At the 28th Kanagawa Society of Physical Education, Health, and Sports Sciences Conference, held at Kanagawa University on Saturday, October 12, a paper by Makito Kobayashi, Professor by Special Appointment（Major: Biology and Environmental Studies）at International Christian University, Yasuo Shimizu, Senior Associate Professor, Ryosuke Fujinuma, Associate Professor, Jun Takemasa, a graduate (ID21 major: Biology), and Tomoyasu Yoshitomi, a professor at Tokyo Gakugei University, titled "Development of a device to prevent the release of microplastics from artificial turf sports field into the natural environment" was awarded the Best Academic Paper Award by the Kanagawa Society of Physical Education, Health, and Sports Sciences. This is the second year in a row that this team has won the Best Academic Paper Award.

This paper was submitted to the Journal of Kanagawa Sport and Health Science, and is a follow-up to a paper published last year (Ingestion of rubber tips from artificial turf sports fields by rainbow trout, Makito Kobayashi, Rihito Chiba, Kanoko Takahashi, Jun Takemasa, Ryosuke Fujinuma, Yasuo Shimizu, and Tomoyasu Yoshitomi. 2023, 56: 13-25.) and presents a solution to the problem of microplastics released from sports activities and facilities. The award was given in recognition of the fact that not only did they raise the issue, but they also devised a groundbreaking solution and are actually using the method.

Overview of the Paper:
Until now, our research group has been conducting research on microplastics (MP) emitted from sports activities and sports facilities. In fact, from the artificial turf stadium at our university, fragments of artificial turf and rubber tips for shock absorption were emitted outside the stadium as MP. In addition, since these MP were ingested by goldfish and rainbow trout in the laboratory, there were concerns about the impact on the ecosystem. In order to stop the emission of MP from sports facilities, we devised a trap that could be made inexpensively and simply, and conducted simulation experiments in the lab to evaluate its performance. We also installed the trap in the drain of an actual artificial turf stadium and conducted a demonstration experiment to confirm the effectiveness of the trap. At present, we have installed traps in the drains of four locations in the artificial turf stadium at our university to prevent the emission of MP.

Comments on the Award (Makito Kobayashi, Professor by Special Appointment):
I was a member of the American football team in high school and university, and I was also an advisor for the American football team at this university. Microplastics eventually end up in the ocean, and this leads to problems such as the impact on fishing and the safety of marine products. As a graduate of a university's Department of Fisheries, I have a connection in my mind between Sports, Environmental science, and Fisheries. I am a professional in Environmental Science and Fisheries, but an amateur in Sports Science. It makes me very happy that our research has been recognized by professional Sports Science researchers.

Click here to view the PDF of the paper.

News about the 2023 Academic Paper Award