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Quantifying the Connectivity of Microplastic Pollution in the Texas–Louisiana Coastal Area
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Using a Lagrangian particle-tracking model coupled to a 3D hydrodynamic simulation, researchers traced microplastic transport from Texas and Louisiana rivers and bayous to the Gulf of Mexico, finding that higher river flows reduced estuary retention time and increased coastal connectivity. The study identifies how hydrological variability controls microplastic distribution in this high-concentration region.
Despite the Gulf of Mexico having one of the world’s highest microplastic concentrations, there is a paucity of information regarding the impact of microplastic pollution on its coastal systems. Using a Lagrangian particle-tracking model coupled with a validated 3D hydrodynamic model, we examined the retention and transport pathway of microplastic particles released from major rivers and bayous in Texas and Louisiana to the Gulf of Mexico. Emphasis was placed on retention time within estuaries and connectivity of particles along the coastline past the initial release location. Magnitude of river inflow has significant impacts on how long particles are retained in estuaries, with high flows (within Galveston Bay and eastward) flushing particles out in less than a year while low flows (west of Galveston Bay) often have the majority of particles still retained after the two-year simulation. Single, high flow events are found to decrease the retention time, highlighting the potential of storms to flush microplastics out of estuaries and into the Gulf. Seasonality of shelf current impacts where along the coast microplastics travel and other estuaries they enter. Settling behavior of particles results in increased retention time within estuaries but a comparable impact on coastal areas.
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Researchers used a Lagrangian particle-tracking model coupled with a high-resolution ocean circulation model to simulate the short-term transport and distribution of microplastics entering the Gulf of Mexico from rivers and urban sources along the southern United States coast.
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This study used particle tracking models combined with rainfall data to predict how plastic pellets and microplastics move and accumulate in estuarine and coastal waters of southeastern Brazil after entering from industrial and river sources. The modeling approach revealed that storm events pulse high concentrations of microplastics into coastal areas, creating temporary hotspots of contamination.
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Researchers coupled a Lagrangian transport model to a high-resolution hydrodynamic model to analyze microplastic distribution in the Gulf of Cadiz, finding that low-density plastics accumulate near estuary sources while high-density particles sink rapidly, with the Guadalquivir and Guadiana estuaries as the dominant input pathways.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.