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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Modeling the microplastic distribution along the Delaware River Estuary: Accumulation patterns and hydrodynamic influences
ClearMicroplastics in the Delaware River Estuary: Mapping the Distribution and Modeling Hydrodynamic Transport
Researchers mapped the distribution of microplastics in the Delaware River Estuary and used hydrodynamic modeling to understand how water currents transport these particles. They found that microplastic concentrations varied significantly across the estuary, with higher levels near urban and industrial areas. The study demonstrates that river and tidal dynamics play a major role in determining where microplastic pollution accumulates.
Microplastic concentration, characterization, and size distribution in the Delaware Bay estuary
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations and composition in the Delaware Bay estuary across two sampling campaigns. The study found that polyethylene and polypropylene were the dominant polymer types, and the highest microplastic levels were observed near visible debris along frontal zones, suggesting that estuarine dynamics play an important role in shaping microplastic distribution.
Observations and Simulations of Microplastic Debris in a Tide, Wind, and Freshwater-Driven Estuarine Environment: the Delaware Bay
Researchers sampled microplastic concentrations in Delaware Bay and used high-resolution numerical modelling to simulate transport of buoyant particles driven by tides, wind, and freshwater inputs, finding average concentrations of 0.19-1.24 pieces/m3 with higher values in the upper bay near the estuarine turbidity maximum. Model results predicted that buoyant microplastic distributions become highly patchy within hours and can vary by a factor of 1000 within a single tidal cycle.
Microplastic accumulation and vertical distribution in the Delaware Estuary estuarine turbidity maximum
Researchers studied microplastic accumulation in the Delaware Estuary's turbidity maximum zone — a region where tidal currents concentrate suspended particles — and found microplastics present throughout the water column at all sampling stations. Particle modeling helped explain how estuary dynamics trap and concentrate plastic debris, making estuaries more efficient sinks for microplastics than the open ocean. This adds to evidence that coastal urban estuaries are significant accumulation zones where microplastics can be ingested by filter feeders and enter food chains.
Modeling Microplastic Transport in Watershed and Estuarine Systems: A Coupled DHSVM-FVCOM Approach
Scientists built a coupled computer model linking a watershed hydrology model to an ocean circulation model to simulate how microplastics move from land through rivers into estuarine and coastal waters. Applied to the Delaware River Estuary, the framework can help predict where microplastics accumulate, which is essential for designing targeted monitoring and cleanup interventions.
Modeling Microplastic Dispersion in the Salado Estuary Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Researchers used computational fluid dynamics software to simulate how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastic particles move through a section of the Salado Estuary in Guayaquil, Ecuador, under realistic tidal and flow conditions. The simulations revealed how particle size, density, and hydrodynamic forces interact to distribute plastics through the estuary, and identified zones of highest accumulation. This modeling approach offers a cost-effective way to guide sampling efforts and predict where microplastics concentrate in estuarine systems in the absence of comprehensive field data.
Dispersal and transport of microplastics in river sediments
A 3D hydrodynamic modelling study of microplastic transport in river sediments found that lower-density plastics like polyethylene and polypropylene travel farther downstream, while denser polymers like polyamide and PET tend to accumulate near their source.
Influence of estuarine physical processes in the transport of microplastics: a modelling study in the Gironde estuary
Researchers developed a hydrodynamic model to investigate how estuarine physical processes in the Gironde estuary influence the transport and distribution of microplastics, examining the role of tidal currents, salinity gradients, and fluvial discharge on particle fate. The modelling study provides insight into the mechanisms controlling microplastic accumulation and export in estuarine environments.
Using hydrodynamic models to understand the impacts and risks of plastic pollution
This paper used hydrodynamic computer models to simulate the transport and accumulation of plastic pollution in estuarine and coastal environments. The approach helps predict where marine litter concentrates based on currents and geography, which is useful for targeting cleanup efforts and informing coastal management policies.
Unravelling spatio-temporal patterns of suspended microplastic concentration in the Natura 2000 Guadalquivir estuary (SW Spain): Observations and model simulations
Researchers combined field observations and computational modeling to map the spatial and temporal distribution of suspended microplastics in the Guadalquivir estuary, a protected Natura 2000 site in Spain. The study found that microplastic concentrations were influenced by river flow, tidal dynamics, and proximity to urban areas, with the estuary acting as a conduit for transporting land-based plastic pollution to the ocean.
Disentangling the retention preferences of estuarine suspended particulate matter for diverse microplastic types
Researchers used computer simulations to model how 16 different types of microplastics travel through the Yangtze River estuary in China. They found that lightweight, small-diameter fiber microplastics are most likely to clump together with suspended sediment, while heavier particles move more independently. The study reveals that turbid zones where river water meets the sea act as hotspots for microplastic accumulation.
Investigating microplastic behaviour in a well-mixed estuary
This study used a 3D computer model to track how microplastics move through a tidal estuary in Wales, exploring whether estuaries trap or release plastics into coastal waters. Understanding this is important for predicting microplastic exposure in areas used for fishing and recreation.
Effects of Microplastic-Sediment Interactions on Microplastics Dispersion in the Gironde Estuary: A Modelling Approach
Researchers developed a hydrodynamic model to investigate how microplastic-sediment interactions influence the dispersion and transport of microplastics within the Gironde Estuary. The modeling approach demonstrated that sediment dynamics significantly affect microplastic fate, altering predicted spatial distributions compared to models that ignore particle-sediment interactions.
Numerical modeling of microplastic interaction with fine sediment under estuarine conditions
This study developed a numerical model to simulate how microplastics interact with fine sediment particles under estuary conditions. Researchers found that interactions with suspended sediment significantly influence where microplastics travel and accumulate in coastal waterways. The model provides a new tool for predicting microplastic transport patterns and identifying pollution hotspots in estuarine environments.
Emission, Transport, and Deposition of visible Plastics in an Estuary and the Baltic Sea—a Monitoring and Modeling Approach
Researchers combined field monitoring and computer modeling to track how large micro- and mesoplastics (1–25 mm) travel from a German city through a river estuary and into the Baltic Sea, finding that estuaries and nearby beaches are major accumulation hotspots. The study shows that visible plastic particles are useful for modeling large-scale transport patterns, but cannot serve as reliable indicators for the far more abundant smaller microplastics below 1 mm.
Modelling Microplastic Dynamics in Estuaries: A Comprehensive Review, Challenges and Recommendations
This comprehensive review examines how process-based computer models have been used to simulate microplastic transport and fate in estuaries — the complex, tidal zones where rivers meet the sea. It evaluates different modeling approaches for capturing hydrodynamics, particle behavior, and interactions with sediment, identifying key gaps and inconsistencies in how microplastic properties are represented. Better estuarine models are needed to predict where plastics accumulate, how long they persist, and what risks they pose to coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Modeling Microplastic Dispersion in the Salado Estuary Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
Researchers employed computational fluid dynamics modeling to simulate microplastic dispersion in the Salado Estuary, examining how industrial activities and plastic waste degradation drive transport dynamics of microplastics through the estuarine system.
The combination of detection and simulation for the distribution and sourcing of microplastics in Shing Mun River estuary, Hong Kong
Researchers combined field sampling with hydrodynamic computer modelling to trace the sources and movement of microplastics in a Hong Kong river estuary, finding polyethylene was the dominant polymer type and that tidal conditions strongly influenced where plastics accumulated in water, sediment, and oysters. The combined detection-simulation approach offers a more complete picture of microplastic sources and transport than sampling alone, which is important for managing contamination in estuaries used for aquaculture.
Identification of Microplastic Accumulation Zones in a Tidal River: A Case Study of the Fraser River, British Columbia, Canada
Researchers used a 3D hydrodynamic model coupled with a Lagrangian particle tracking model to simulate microplastic transport and identify accumulation zones in the tidal Fraser River in British Columbia. The modelling identified specific depositional hotspots linked to flow velocity gradients, providing a framework for targeted monitoring and remediation.
Simulating the impact of estuarine fronts on microplastic concentrations in well-mixed estuaries
Researchers used a high-resolution 3D hydrodynamic model of the Conwy Estuary in Wales to simulate how estuarine fronts influence microplastic concentration and dispersal, finding that tidal fronts can trap and concentrate particles — increasing local exposure and affecting how much plastic is exported to coastal waters.
Modeling the fate of microplastics in the Sengkarang Estuary, Pekalongan City, Central Java, Indonesia
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in water and sediment at the mouth of the Sengkarang River in Indonesia and built a hydrodynamic model to track how tidal currents, wind, and river flow distribute the particles. Microplastics were highest in coastal waters and mangrove sediments, with tides and currents driving horizontal transport and concentrating particles in biologically sensitive habitats. The modeling approach offers a practical framework for predicting where microplastics accumulate and informing pollution management in river-to-sea systems.
Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of their density: A Lagrangian modelling approach
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.
Modeling microplastic dynamics in riverine systems: fate and transport analysis
Researchers developed a computer model to simulate how microplastics travel through river systems, accounting for how they enter from human activities and how they settle, resuspend, and deposit along riverbanks. The model was applied to the Tame River in the UK using four different scenarios based on plastic particle types like fibers, fragments, and pellets. The study provides a tool for predicting where microplastics accumulate in rivers, which could help target cleanup and monitoring efforts.
Comparing field-based microplastic observations with ocean circulation model outputs in estuarine surface waters along a human population gradient
Researchers compared field-collected microplastic data with ocean circulation model simulations in Narragansett Bay, the largest estuary in New England. They found higher microplastic concentrations in urbanized northern areas compared to less populated southern regions, with significant temporal variability driven by weather and tides. The study suggests that ocean models can capture broad microplastic movement trends, but fine-scale accuracy remains limited.