Containers dumped on the A35 leaked into a drainage channel, raising environmental concerns.
The QUB team says it is the first time several techniques have been combined to analyse the effect.
Experts from Plymouth Marine Laboratory test Devon and Cornwall waters and analyse algae blooms.
Volunteers led by Dorset-based Butterfly Conservation have gathered more than 44m records.
The signs describe Belfast Lough as "highly contaminated with raw sewage" and tell people not to go into the water.
The new project will see specially designed floating saltmarshes deployed in coastal waters.
Conservation charity expects more kits to be born on Dartmoor and Exmoor.
The birds could be reintroduced as early as next year following a £1m injection from the government.
Clouds of microplastics concentrate in the air of our homes, and we could be breathing in millions of them each year. A few changes can help us reduce exposure.
