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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Mapping microplastic pathways and accumulation zones in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea – insights from modeling
ClearModel estimates of microplastic potential contamination pattern of the eastern Gulf of Finland in 2018
This numerical modeling study simulated the transport and distribution of microplastics entering the Gulf of Finland from the Neva, Luga, and Narva rivers, finding that most particles move along the northern coast under typical conditions. The model helps predict where microplastics from urban river sources accumulate in this enclosed semi-inland sea.
Modeling the transport and accumulation of microplastics in the Gulf of Finland
Researchers used numerical simulations to model how microplastics are transported and accumulate across the Gulf of Finland in the eastern Baltic Sea. The model accounted for diffusion, beaching, resuspension, and biofouling, and found that microplastic accumulation patterns depend strongly on particle buoyancy. The results identify hotspots of microplastic accumulation in this semi-enclosed sea and can inform targeted cleanup efforts.
Modeling drift and fate of microplastics in the Baltic Sea
Researchers developed a hydrodynamic model to track the drift and accumulation of microplastics in the Baltic Sea, linking coastal emission sources to offshore accumulation zones and identifying key oceanographic processes that govern the fate of land-derived plastic pollution.
River inflow of microplastics and their distribution in sea areas on the example of the southern Baltic Sea
Researchers tracked the flow of microplastics from rivers into adjacent sea areas in the Baltic region, quantifying concentrations at the river-sea interface. River inflow was confirmed as a major delivery pathway for marine microplastic contamination in enclosed coastal seas.
River inflow of microplastics and their distribution in sea areas on the example of the southern Baltic Sea
This study assessed the transport of microplastics from river inflow to distribution in adjacent sea areas, using the Baltic Sea as a case study. River discharge was found to be a major pathway delivering microplastics to coastal marine environments.
Urban Microplastics Emissions: Effectiveness of Retention Measures and Consequences for the Baltic Sea
Researchers estimated that 6.7 x 10^13 microplastic particles enter the Baltic Sea annually from urban sewage pathways, with stormwater runoff accounting for 62% of emissions, and modeled scenarios showing that improved retention measures in wastewater infrastructure could substantially reduce these inputs.
Transport and Behavior of Microplastics Emissions From Urban Sources in the Baltic Sea
Researchers compiled microplastic emission data for urban sources in the Baltic Sea region and modelled transport and deposition of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET particles using 3D simulations. The study found that combined sewer overflow systems and untreated wastewater are major pathways for microplastics, with particle density strongly influencing transport trajectories and depositional patterns.
Combined Approaches to Predict Microplastic Emissions Within an Urbanized Estuary (Warnow, Southwestern Baltic Sea)
Researchers combined field sampling, hydrodynamic modeling, and emission inventories to estimate microplastic inputs into the Warnow estuary in the southwestern Baltic Sea, finding that stormwater overflow and combined sewer overflows are dominant local sources and that urbanization intensity strongly predicts emission hotspots.
Modeling the Pathways and Accumulation Patterns of Micro- and Macro-Plastics in the Mediterranean
A basin-scale hydrodynamic model tracked plastic debris pathways in the Mediterranean Sea, showing that coastal currents concentrate plastics in the northwestern basin and that both riverine inputs and sea-based sources contribute substantially to the distribution hotspots observed at the surface.
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.
River and Urban-Related Microplastic Pollution in the Gulf of America: A Modeling Study
Researchers used a Lagrangian particle-tracking model coupled with a high-resolution 1 km three-dimensional regional ocean model to investigate microplastic pollution dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico, focusing on inputs from the Mississippi-Atchafalaya River system and coastal wastewater treatment plant discharges. The modelling study mapped MP transport pathways and accumulation zones in a biologically critical marine environment under multiple emission scenarios.
Do wastewater treatment plants act as a potential point source of microplastics? Preliminary study in the coastal Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea
A study at a Finnish wastewater treatment plant found that although influent microplastic concentrations were high, treatment processes removed the vast majority — but a meaningful fraction still passed through in the effluent. The results confirm that even well-run treatment plants cannot fully prevent microplastic discharge to receiving water bodies.
Modeling the pathways of microplastics in the Gulf of Finland, Baltic Sea – sensitivity of parametrizations
Researchers developed an open-source Lagrangian particle tracking model to simulate microplastic transport in the Gulf of Finland, incorporating processes like diffusion, beaching, resuspension, and biofouling. Sensitivity analysis showed that beaching and biofouling were the major factors removing particles from the water column, while stronger diffusion enhanced microplastic export from the gulf. The study provides a foundation for improving microplastic transport simulations in coastal environments.
Investigating the influence of sub-mesoscale current structures on Baltic Sea connectivity through a Lagrangian analysis
Not relevant to microplastics — this oceanographic study uses Lagrangian particle tracking to model how sub-mesoscale currents affect water connectivity in the Baltic Sea, finding that the basin's long residence time (~790 days) makes it prone to pollutant accumulation, but does not study microplastics directly.
Developing Realistic Models for Assessing Marine Plastic Pollution in Semi-Enclosed Seas
Researchers developed realistic modeling approaches for assessing marine plastic pollution in semi-enclosed seas, accounting for plastic transport from land-based sources via rivers and inland pathways to better predict accumulation patterns.
Microplastics in the Mediterranean: Variability From Observations and Model Analysis
Researchers combined field sampling across four Mediterranean coastal areas with hydrodynamic and particle drift modeling to characterize microplastic abundance, size, and polymer type variability, finding that wastewater and river inputs drive spatial patterns of surface MP distribution.
Trajectory, fate, and magnitude of continental microplastic loads to the inner shelf: A case study of the world's largest coastal shallow lagoon
Researchers modeled the continental-scale transport and eventual fate of microplastics, estimating how particles move from terrestrial sources through river systems to coastal and open ocean environments. The analysis highlights oceans as the ultimate sink for a large fraction of land-derived microplastics.
Distribution of microplastics present in a stream that receives discharge from wastewater treatment plants
Researchers traced microplastic pollution along a stream running through a Spanish city and found that wastewater treatment plant discharge accounted for 97% of microplastics in the water, with concentrations peaking at 72,000 particles per liter immediately downstream of the plants.
Evaluation des apports fluviaux de microplastiques et modélisation de leur dispersion en mer Méditerranée
This French doctoral research estimated the annual flux of microplastics from rivers into the Mediterranean Sea and used transport models to track their dispersal. The results show that rivers are the dominant pathway delivering microplastics to the Mediterranean, and the modeling reveals hotspots of accumulation in specific coastal areas.
Direkte Mikro- und Makroplastiktransportmessungen an großen und mittleren Flüssen sowie im Ablauf von Kläranlagen
This German-language study presents direct measurements of micro- and macroplastic transport in large and medium-sized rivers as well as wastewater treatment plant effluents. It addresses a research gap in freshwater plastic transport quantification, providing empirical data on how rivers carry plastics toward marine environments.
Export of microplastics from land to sea. A modelling approach
Researchers developed a model to estimate how much microplastic flows from European rivers into the sea, accounting for different sources and sewage treatment effectiveness. They found that tire and road wear particles and textile fibers from laundry are the two largest sources, together making up over 70% of river-borne microplastics. About two-thirds of the modeled microplastic emissions flow into the Mediterranean and Black Sea, largely due to less effective wastewater treatment in those regions.
Model uncertainties of a storm and their influence on microplastics / sediment transport in the Baltic Sea
Researchers used ocean circulation modeling to simulate how microplastics and sediment are transported in the Baltic Sea during storm events, identifying uncertainty in the models as a key challenge. Despite this, the approach helps predict where microplastics accumulate on the seafloor, which is otherwise expensive to measure directly.
Point-source microplastic input to the river and coastal zone via wastewater treatment facilities: a case study from a tropical mega-city
Point-source inputs of microplastics from a specific industrial or municipal source were quantified in both a river and the adjacent coastal zone. The study links land-based pollution sources to downstream and coastal microplastic concentrations, supporting targeted source-control interventions.
Spatiotemporal Variability of Microplastics in the Eastern Baltic Sea
Researchers documented spatiotemporal variability of microplastics in the eastern Baltic Sea over five years, finding concentrations ranging from 0.01 to 2.45 particles per cubic meter with patterns linked to proximity to urban areas and riverine inputs.