Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Sustainability
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

A Lagrangian Model for Microplastics Transport in Rivers

Researchers developed a Lagrangian computational model to simulate how microplastics are transported through river systems, accounting for particle buoyancy, turbulence, and settling behavior. The model provides a tool for predicting microplastic fate and accumulation in freshwater environments.

2024 Jornadas de jóvenes investigadores del I3A
Article Tier 2

Case Study of Contaminant Transport Using Lagrangian Particle Tracking Model in a Macro-Tidal Estuary

Researchers used a Lagrangian particle tracking model to analyze contaminant transport in a macro-tidal estuary, focusing on how tidal creeks and tidal flats influence pollutant dispersal patterns. The hydrodynamic modeling revealed that tidal dynamics play a major role in determining where and how fast contaminants spread through estuarine systems.

2024 Water 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Destination of floating plastic debris released from ten major rivers around the Korean Peninsula

Researchers used a Lagrangian particle tracking model to simulate the transport and coastal accumulation of plastic debris released from ten major Chinese and Korean rivers around the Korean Peninsula, finding that debris generally strands near the originating river mouth and that model predictions were consistent with observational data.

2020 Environment International 68 citations
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

Material and debris transport patterns in Moreton Bay, Australia: The influence of Lagrangian coherent structures

Researchers applied Lagrangian coherent structures (LCS) — mathematical tools that map invisible transport barriers in fluid flow — to predict the fate of floating marine debris in Moreton Bay, Australia, showing that wind and islands significantly redirect debris pathways and that LCS can guide practical marine litter management.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Lagrangian Modeling of Marine Microplastics Fate and Transport: The State of the Science

This comprehensive review synthesizes Lagrangian modeling approaches used to track the fate and transport of marine microplastics, covering particle dynamics, buoyancy, biofouling, and sedimentation processes across global ocean systems. The authors identify key knowledge gaps and recommend standardization of model parameters to improve predictions of plastic distribution and exposure risk.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 58 citations
Article Tier 2

[Microplastics pollution in the Yellow River basin: current status and control strategy].

This review summarizes microplastic contamination in the Yellow River basin, finding that pollution increases from upstream to downstream with the highest concentrations in the Yellow River Delta wetland, and that both sediment and surface water are impacted at levels posing risks to aquaculture and human health.

2023 PubMed
Article Tier 2

From source to sink: part 1—characterization and Lagrangian tracking of riverine microplastics in the Mediterranean Basin

Researchers characterized riverine microplastics from source to coastal sink, using Lagrangian tracking to trace the transport of particles from inland rivers to coastal deposition zones and identifying key retention points in the system.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

A Lagrangian model for microplastics transport in SERGHEI

Researchers implemented a Lagrangian particle tracking model for microplastic transport in the SERGHEI river flow simulation framework to predict plastic movement and fate in river systems. The model successfully reproduced field observations of microplastic distribution in test rivers and is applicable for assessing plastic pollution transport and identifying accumulation zones.

2025
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

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

Macroplastic fate and transport in an Amazonian Estuarine System: A Lagrangian Modelling Approach

Scientists used computer models to track how large plastic waste travels from the city of Belém, Brazil through rivers and waterways to the ocean. They found that plastic pollution gets stuck in certain areas during low water periods but moves quickly to the ocean during high water periods, creating pollution hotspots near the city. This research helps identify where plastic waste accumulates so communities can better target cleanup efforts and prevent this pollution from reaching the ocean and potentially entering our food chain.

2026
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Patch Based on HydrodynamicModeling in The North Indramayu, Java Sea

Hydrodynamic modeling was used to track microplastic transport in the Java Sea off North Indramayu, Indonesia, predicting accumulation zones influenced by tidal currents and seasonal winds. The study provides a modeling framework for understanding microplastic distribution in Indonesian coastal waters, which receive high plastic inputs from land.

2018 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies 44 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2018 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Lagrangian tracking of river microplastics in the Mediterranean Basin

Researchers applied a Mediterranean river microplastic source scenario to Lagrangian dispersion simulations using high-resolution 3D current fields from the SYMPHONIE hydrodynamic model, tracking river MP inputs through the semi-enclosed Mediterranean Basin to quantify sources, transfers, and accumulation hotspots.

2025
Article Tier 2

Tidal intensity and suspended sediment concentration drive microplastic distribution in the Pearl River Estuary: Insights from remote sensing retrieval

Field measurements showed that tidal intensity and suspended sediment concentrations are key drivers of microplastic transport in coastal and estuarine waters. The results help explain why microplastic concentrations fluctuate with tidal cycles and inform models predicting where plastics accumulate in dynamic coastal zones.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Numerical integrators for Lagrangian oceanography

This technical study compared numerical methods for calculating ocean particle trajectories from model current data, with relevance to tracking floating microplastics at sea. The choice of interpolation method significantly affects trajectory accuracy, with implications for marine plastic transport modeling.

2020 Geoscientific model development 13 citations
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

A Regional Lagrangian Model for Assessing the Dispersion of Floating Macroplastics from Different Source Types over the Iberian Peninsula in the North Atlantic Ocean

Researchers used a validated Lagrangian model to track floating macroplastics entering the North Atlantic from rivers, land-based sources, and maritime traffic along Spain's Atlantic coast, finding significant plastic concentrations near the coastline and at medium distances over a seven-year simulation period.

2023
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 2 citations
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

Modeling the Trajectory of Microplastics in the Estuary of Hau River Using the Open‐Source OpenDrift Model†

A hydrodynamic model was used to simulate the trajectories of microplastics in the estuary of a specific river, predicting where particles accumulate under different tidal and flow conditions. Such trajectory models are essential tools for guiding targeted cleanup and monitoring efforts in estuarine environments.

2025 IEEJ Transactions on Electrical and Electronic Engineering 1 citations