We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Potential Micro-Plastics Dispersal and Accumulation in the North Sea, With Application to the MSC Zoe Incident
Summary
Ocean particle tracking models were used to simulate the dispersal of microplastics following the MSC Zoe container ship accident, which spilled thousands of containers off the Netherlands in 2019. The study provides insights into how major plastic spills spread through marine environments and where particles accumulate.
The fate and effects of microplastics in the marine environment are an increasingly important area of research, policy and legislation. To manage and reduce microplastics in the seas and oceans, and to help understand causes and effects, we need improved understanding of transport patterns, transit times and accumulation areas. In this paper, we use a particle tracking model to investigate the differences in dispersal and accumulation of microplastics with different properties (floating and sinking) in the North Sea. In these simulations, particles were released with a uniform horizontal distribution, and also from rivers at rates proportional to the river runoff. The results showed that floating particles can accumulate temporarily on salinity fronts and in gyres, and are deposited predominantly on west-facing beaches. Sinking particles moved more slowly and less far, accumulated in deeper areas associated with fine sediments, and were deposited more on west- and north-facing beaches. The model was also applied to the MSC Zoe incident of 1 January 2019, in which 342 containers were lost north of the Dutch Wadden islands in the southern North Sea, tracking two types of microplastics with similar properties (∼5mm floating HDPE pellets and ∼0.6mm sinking PS grains) to identify release locations and potential accumulation areas. We used field observations collected by a citizen science initiative ( waddenplastic.nl ) to constrain the model results. For these simulations, particles were released along the ship’s trajectory and at locations on the trajectory where debris was found. The simulations of the MSC Zoe incident showed that over 90% of floating (∼5mm) HDPE pellets beached within 3–7 weeks, and predominantly on the more eastern Dutch Wadden Islands in agreement with the field observations, and that most of the sinking (∼0.6mm) PS grains were still at sea after 6 weeks, and a large proportion may have been deposited on German shores. The work is relevant to Descriptor 10 (Marine Litter) of the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Statistical analysis of effects of MSC Zoe incident on populations of protected species in Wadden Sea and North Sea.
Following the 2019 cargo ship accident that spilled plastic pellets near the Dutch Wadden Sea, researchers assessed the impact on protected marine species and habitats. The spill highlighted how plastic pellet accidents can rapidly contaminate sensitive coastal ecosystems with microplastic precursors.
On some physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environment
This study examined the physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environments, using modeling to predict how particle shape, density, and size govern transport, dispersion, and accumulation patterns.
Numerical Modelling Techniques for Marine Debris : A Systematic Literature Review
This systematic review surveys numerical modeling approaches used to track the fate and transport of marine plastic debris, covering particle tracking models, hydrodynamic simulations, and bibliometric trends. Understanding how plastic moves through ocean systems is critical for identifying pollution hotspots and designing effective cleanup or prevention strategies.
Microplastic Distribution Characteristics Considering the Marine Environment Based on Surface Seawater Quality Parameters in Southern Sea of Korea, 2019
Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution characteristics in marine environments using spatial modeling, identifying accumulation zones and transport pathways driven by ocean currents, depth, and particle density.
Transport, weathering and pollution of plastic from container losses at sea: Observations from a spillage of inkjet cartridges in the North Atlantic Ocean
Researchers tracked polypropylene inkjet cartridges spilled from a container ship in the North Atlantic, documenting roughly 1,500 cartridges beached from Florida to northern Norway over four years and using their distribution to trace major surface ocean current pathways including the North Atlantic Gyre.