Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Simulation of microplastic transport and dispersion based on a three-dimensional hydrodynamic particle-tracking model in the Beibu Gulf

Researchers developed a three-dimensional hydrodynamic particle-tracking model of microplastic transport in the semi-enclosed Beibu Gulf, finding that monsoon-driven circulation controls dispersal patterns, with microplastics dispersing up to 205 km in spring and storm surges such as Typhoon Yagi significantly intensifying transport and expanding nearshore high-concentration zones.

2025 Frontiers in Toxicology
Article Tier 2

Hydrology Modulates the Microplastics Composition and Transport Flux Across the River–Sea Interface in Zhanjiang Bay, China

Researchers measured how tides and seasonal rainfall affect the movement of microplastics through an estuary in southern China. They found that microplastic levels rose during low tides and dropped during high tides, with an estimated 1.6 billion particles flowing from river to sea each year. The findings provide a framework for understanding how water flow patterns drive microplastic transport into coastal environments.

2025 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Simulation of seasonal transport of microplastics and influencing factors inthe China Seas based on the ROMS model

Researchers used the Regional Ocean Modeling System combined with the LTRANS Lagrangian transport model to simulate seasonal microplastic transport throughout the China Seas, finding that circulation patterns, river discharge, and particle properties drive marked seasonal variations in microplastic pathways and spatial distribution.

2024
Article Tier 2

Simulation of seasonal transport of microplastics and influencing factors in the China Seas based on the ROMS model

Researchers used ocean circulation modeling to simulate how microplastics are transported across the China Seas during different seasons. The study found that microplastic pathways and distributions vary markedly with seasonal circulation patterns, with the longest transport distances occurring in summer when particles from the Pearl River could travel over 1,375 kilometers, while in autumn and winter more than three-quarters of microplastics beached along the south-central Chinese coast.

2023 Water Research 36 citations
Article Tier 2

Data Sheet 1_Simulation of microplastic transport and dispersion based on a three-dimensional hydrodynamic particle-tracking model in the Beibu Gulf.pdf

Researchers developed a three-dimensional hydrodynamic particle-tracking model of microplastic transport in the semi-enclosed Beibu Gulf, finding that monsoon-driven circulation controls dispersal patterns, with microplastics dispersing up to 205 km in spring and storm surges such as Typhoon Yagi significantly intensifying transport and expanding nearshore high-concentration zones.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Coastal bays serve as reservoirs for microplastics from East China: insights from a mass budget model based on sedimentary findings

Researchers investigated sedimentary microplastics in three representative coastal bays of the Zhejiang Great Bay Area, China, and used a mass budget model to quantify sources and fluxes within each bay system. Riverine discharge accounted for 41.5%-96.7% of total microplastic input, with textile and fishing sources dominant in Hangzhou Bay, mariculture and tourism driving levels in Sanmen Bay, and packaging and agricultural sources prominent in Wenzhou Bay.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin
Article Tier 2

The fate of microplastics in estuary: A quantitative simulation approach

Researchers applied quantitative numerical simulation to model microplastic transport and concentration distribution in the Yangtze Estuary, one of the world's largest plastic export pathways. The model used a mass-number method to estimate spatial distribution and risk levels of microplastics in February and May, revealing seasonal variation in transport patterns.

2022 Water Research 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the Connectivity of Microplastic Pollution in the Texas–Louisiana Coastal Area

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.

2024 ACS ES&T Water 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Tide-driven microplastics transport in an elongated semi-closed bay: A case study in Xiangshan Bay, China

Researchers combined field sampling and numerical tidal flow modeling to study microplastic transport in Xiangshan Bay, China, finding that tidal currents play a significant role in redistributing microplastics within this semi-closed coastal bay before they reach the open ocean.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling river and urban related microplastic pollution off the southern United States

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.

2025 npj Emerging Contaminants
Article Tier 2

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.

2020 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Phenomenological model of suspended sediment transport in a small catchment

This paper is not relevant to microplastics; it presents a hydrological model for suspended sediment transport in a small tropical river catchment in Guadeloupe.

2023 Earth Surface Dynamics 7 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution and river-sea transport of microplastics with tidal fluctuation in a subtropical estuary, China

Researchers investigated how tidal fluctuation affects the vertical distribution and river-sea transport of microplastics in a subtropical estuary in China, finding that tidal dynamics significantly influence microplastic size, concentration, and movement between river and marine environments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 80 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Environmental Quality Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport mechanism of microplastics from a still water system to a dynamic estuarine system: A case study in Macao SAR

A study in Macao's Pearl River Estuary traced microplastics from still-water ecosystems into the dynamic estuarine system, revealing how hydrodynamic forces transport microplastics from inland reservoirs and ponds to coastal waters and ultimately the South China Sea.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Variations in Land-Based Sources of Coastal Water Affected by Tropical Typhoon Events in Zhanjiang Bay, China

Researchers analyzed the abundance, composition, diversity, and flux of microplastics from three estuaries and one sewage outlet in Zhanjiang Bay, China, before and after tropical typhoon events, finding a 3.6-fold increase in microplastic abundance from land-based sources following typhoons. The study links increased stormwater discharge during typhoons to elevated microplastic loading in coastal waters, highlighting how climate-driven extreme weather amplifies plastic pollution.

2022 Water 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Oceanic realistic application of a microplastic biofouling model to the river discharge case

Researchers applied a biofouling model to simulate how microbial colonization affects microplastic transport from river discharge into oceanic environments, finding that biofouling alters particle density and significantly changes vertical distribution and transport distances.

2024 Environmental Pollution 4 citations