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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Repeated Pass Removal Survey for Estimating Land-Based Trash Abundance v1
ClearCatchment-scale mechanistic predictions of microplastic transport and distribution across land and water
Researchers developed the first catchment-scale model successfully predicting microplastic transport from land to water, validated against field data, revealing how soil accumulation, runoff dynamics, and in-stream transport interact to determine where microplastics concentrate before reaching the ocean.
Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts
This comprehensive review of plastic particles in soil covered sources, occurrence, analytical detection methods, and ecological impacts, identifying gaps in knowledge about terrestrial plastic fate and effects compared to the more extensively studied marine environment.
An evaluation of the River-OSPAR method for quantifying macrolitter on Dutch riverbanks
This study evaluated the River-OSPAR method — a standardized litter monitoring protocol — for quantifying debris on Dutch riverbanks. Accurate monitoring methods are necessary to track plastic litter reduction efforts in river systems that ultimately transport litter to the ocean.
Land cover type modulates the distribution of litter in a Nordic cultural landscape
Researchers investigated the distribution of litter across different land cover types in a cultural landscape in central Norway using 110 randomly stratified survey plots, finding that land cover type significantly modulates litter distribution and providing empirical data on terrestrial litter pollution outside the predominantly studied marine environment.
A Methodology to Characterize Riverine Macroplastic Emission Into the Ocean
This paper presents a standardized methodology for measuring and characterizing macroplastic emissions from rivers into the ocean, addressing a major data gap in global plastic budget estimates. Consistent measurement frameworks are essential for understanding how much plastic enters the ocean from land-based sources via rivers.
A nationwide assessment of plastic pollution in the Danish realm using citizen science
Researchers conducted a nationwide citizen science assessment of plastic pollution across Denmark, Greenland, and the Faeroe Islands, with approximately 57,000 school students collecting 374,082 plastic items across eight nature types in 94 of 98 Danish municipalities. The study demonstrated that student-led citizen science can fill important knowledge gaps in land-based plastic litter monitoring beyond beach surveys.
All is not lost: deriving a top-down mass budget of plastic at sea
Using a top-down mass budget approach, this study estimated how much plastic is present in the ocean by accounting for known inputs and fragmentation processes. The analysis helps identify where plastic mass is "missing" — whether through burial, beaching, or degradation — a key question for understanding the long-term fate of ocean plastic pollution.
The importance of ensuring representative sample volumes in microplastic monitoring - A predictive methodology
Analysis of a global database of 1,603 marine and 208 freshwater microplastic observations found that sample volume strongly influences reported concentrations, and a predictive methodology was developed to ensure representative sampling and enable meaningful cross-study comparisons.
The Plastic Pathfinder: A Macroplastic Transport and Fate Model for Terrestrial Environments
Researchers introduced the Plastic Pathfinder, a computer model that simulates how plastic waste moves across land through wind, rain, and river systems before reaching the ocean. The model helps identify key transport pathways and accumulation hotspots, which is critical information for targeting plastic pollution interventions.
Adapting Coastal Collection Methods for River Assessment to Increase Data on Global Plastic Pollution: Examples From India and Indonesia
This paper promotes adapting coastal debris survey methods to freshwater river systems to close the data gap on how much litter rivers carry to the ocean. Standardized river debris monitoring is essential for understanding the full pathway of plastic pollution from land to sea.
Quantifying, and assessing the impact of, microplastics in terrestrial samples
Researchers aimed to develop effective methodologies for quantifying and assessing the ecological impact of microplastics (1-1000 µm) in terrestrial environments such as woodlands, which have been understudied compared to aquatic and sediment systems. The study sought to fill knowledge gaps about microplastic concentrations and effects in terrestrial ecosystems to inform policy development.
Toward a Harmonized Approach for Monitoring of Riverine Floating Macro Litter Inputs to the Marine Environment
Researchers reviewed approaches toward a harmonised monitoring methodology for riverine floating macro litter inputs to the sea, addressing the lack of standardised methods that currently prevents quantification of freshwater litter fluxes and hinders effective environmental regulation.
Are we underestimating the sources of microplastic pollution in terrestrial environment?
This review argues that land-based sources of microplastic pollution are significantly underestimated, even though most marine microplastics originate from terrestrial sources. Researchers found that textile washing accounts for roughly 35% of microplastics in water, with additional contributions from tire wear, agricultural plastic films, cosmetics, and construction materials. The study highlights atmospheric deposition as a newly recognized pathway for microplastic dispersal that requires urgent investigation.
Designing Unmanned Aerial Survey Monitoring Program to Assess Floating Litter Contamination
Researchers tested drone-based aerial surveys with high-resolution cameras as a cost-effective method for monitoring floating litter contamination in coastal waters, comparing manual counting, automated detection, and modeling approaches to optimize survey design.
Experimental method for quantifying macroplastic fragmentation in rivers
Researchers developed an experimental methodology to quantify macroplastic fragmentation during river transport by repeatedly measuring the mass of tagged plastic items before and after transit. A 52-65 day field test of the method yielded the first quantitative measurements of fragmentation rates for 1-litre plastic bottles transported through a river channel.
A baseline study of macro, meso and micro litter in the Belize River basin, from catchment to coast
Researchers conducted a baseline survey of macro, meso, and micro litter throughout the Belize River basin from inland catchments to the coast, documenting plastic as the dominant litter type and identifying rivers as key conduits transporting terrestrial plastic waste to coastal waters.
The “plastic cycle”: a watershed‐scale model of plastic pools and fluxes
This paper presented a watershed-scale conceptual model of plastic sources, fluxes, and fates — including landfill containment, environmental persistence, atmospheric interactions, and ocean export — arguing that terrestrial and freshwater plastic stocks are severely underappreciated in global accounting.
Developing Beach Litter Monitoring System Based on Reflectance Characteristics and its Abundance
Researchers developed a beach litter monitoring system using optical reflectance characteristics of plastic debris, training a remote sensing model to detect and classify litter items on sandy beach surfaces. The system demonstrated accurate detection of common plastic litter types and offers a scalable, automated alternative to manual beach surveys.
Microplastics as an emerging hazard to terrestrial and marine ecosystems: Sources, Occurrence and Analytical Methods
This review summarized the sources, occurrence, and detection methods for microplastics across multiple environmental compartments, noting that methodological limitations make comparison across studies difficult. The review calls for standardized analytical approaches to better quantify global microplastic contamination.
Sample size requirements for riverbank macrolitter characterization
This study determined how many litter samples are needed to reliably characterize riverbank debris, accounting for the wide variation in litter size, mass, and type. Current monitoring programs often underestimate litter abundance due to insufficient sample sizes. The findings provide practical guidance for designing more statistically robust litter monitoring programs.