Suitability of river plastic monitoring methods for citizen science
Cambridge Prisms Plastics2025
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Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Christian Schmidt,
Christian Schmidt,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Christian Schmidt,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Sabrina Kirschke,
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Louise Schreyers
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Sabrina Kirschke,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Louise Schreyers
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Tim van Emmerik,
Rose Boahemaa Pinto,
Tim van Emmerik,
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Christian Schmidt,
Christian Schmidt,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Leigh M. Schmidtke,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Sabrina Kirschke,
Christian Schmidt,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Louise Schreyers
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Christian Schmidt,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Christian Schmidt,
Rose Boahemaa Pinto,
Christian Schmidt,
Christian Schmidt,
Christian Schmidt,
Christian Schmidt,
Tim van Emmerik,
Christian Schmidt,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Tim van Emmerik,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Rose Boahemaa Pinto,
Louise Schreyers
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Tim van Emmerik,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Katrin Wendt‐Potthoff,
Louise Schreyers
Summary
This study tested four river plastic monitoring methods — visual counting, macroplastic nets, microplastic nets, and flow measurements — to see which ones ordinary volunteers could reliably perform, using field trials in Accra, Ghana as a case study. Visual counting of floating plastic debris emerged as the most practical approach for citizen science programs. Scaling up plastic monitoring globally requires methods that non-specialists can carry out accurately, making this kind of evaluation critical for building a worldwide picture of plastic pollution in rivers.
Study Type
Environmental
Abstract Rivers act as long-term plastic storage and a pathway for land-based plastic pollution into the ocean. Monitoring river plastic at a global scale remains challenging, with only limited large-scale and long-term monitoring efforts to date. Citizen science approaches may ensure a more continuous basic knowledge of plastic pollution in rivers, which can be used to assess the efficacy of reduction measures. We evaluated the suitability of several river plastic monitoring methods for citizen science, through field monitoring and a subsequent survey with citizen scientists in Accra, Ghana. Four measurement techniques (visual counting, macroplastic net sampling, microplastic net sampling and hydrometric measurements) were tested in the field and evaluated by citizen scientists. The visual counting method, used to estimate floating macroplastic transport, emerged as the most promising method for citizen science–based river plastic monitoring. Using the data collected by citizens, we quantify the variability in transport and concentration of both macroplastic and microplastic.