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Catch plastic litter before it reaches the ocean
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This article describes the LIFE SouPLess project, which is developing technology to intercept plastic litter in rivers before it reaches the ocean. Rivers are one of the primary pathways through which land-based plastic waste enters the sea. River-based plastic interception technologies are a promising strategy for reducing the ongoing accumulation of marine microplastics.
Catch plastic litter before it reaches the ocean Increased global production and poor waste management have led to a build-up of plastic litter in the world’s oceans. This has devastating effects on ecosystems and marine life. The flow of plastics into the oceans occurs through a variety of pathways, but rivers are one of the largest contributors. The LIFE SouPLess project aims to develop technology to catch plastics from rivers before they spread to the seas and oceans. It is a 4.5 years project (July 2018 – December 2022). Three main links of the chain of riverine plastic recovery will be tackled: from locating plastic hotspots with a dedicated numerical model to effectively collecting the plastics with systems and finding sustainable and cost-effective solutions for post-processing the collected litter.
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Cleaning our seas and oceans of plastic litter
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This brief describes the LIFE SouPLess project, a European initiative developing technologies to collect and recycle plastic litter from rivers before it reaches the ocean. It focuses on river-based interventions as one of the most impactful points to intercept plastic pollution pathways.
Removing Plastic Waste from Rivers: A Prototype-Scale Experimental Study on a Novel River-Cleaning Concept
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Researchers tested a prototype-scale river-cleaning system designed to capture plastic waste across the full width and depth of a river. The study demonstrated that the novel approach can effectively intercept floating and submerged plastic debris, addressing the critical role that rivers play as transport pathways carrying mismanaged plastic waste from land to oceans.
Rivers Are a Highway for Microplastics into the Ocean
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This review explains how rivers transport microplastics from inland sources to the ocean, making them a critical conduit for terrestrial plastic pollution entering marine environments. The authors discuss factors affecting plastic loads in rivers and argue that upstream interventions are essential to reducing ocean plastic accumulation.
The processes and transport fluxes of land-based macroplastics and microplastics entering the ocean via rivers
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This review traces the full journey of plastic waste from land to ocean via rivers, covering how plastics enter waterways and the methods scientists use to estimate how much reaches the sea. About 80% of marine plastic pollution comes from land-based sources, and better monitoring and modeling are needed to improve estimates. Understanding these transport pathways is essential for reducing the microplastic contamination that ultimately enters the seafood supply and affects human health.
A numerical model of microplastic erosion, transport, and deposition for fluvial systems
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Researchers developed a numerical model of microplastic erosion, transport, and deposition in river systems, finding that rivers act as temporary sinks trapping significant fractions of MPs before they reach the ocean, with implications for estimating marine MP loading from terrestrial sources.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.