Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

The dynamics of microplastics and associated contaminants: Data-driven Lagrangian and Eulerian modelling approaches in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers compared Lagrangian and Eulerian data-driven modelling approaches to simulate microplastic dispersal and associated organic pollutant transport in the Mediterranean Sea, finding that adsorption-desorption dynamics between microplastics and hydrophobic contaminants must be coupled for accurate pollution assessment.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Simulation of the transport of marine microplastic particles in the Ionian Archipelago (NE Ionian Sea) using a Lagrangian model and the control mechanisms affecting their transport

Researchers used a Lagrangian particle-tracking model to simulate microplastic transport in the Ionian Archipelago, finding that oceanographic currents drove significant dispersal of particles released from coastal population centers, with implications for biodiversity in this ecologically sensitive part of the Mediterranean.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

A coupled model for the linked dynamics of marine pollution by microplastics and plastic-related organic pollutants

This study developed a mathematical model linking the spread of microplastics in the ocean with the organic pollutants they carry, simulating how microplastics act as transport vehicles for harmful chemicals. The model helps assess the combined ecological risk of plastic pollution and the contaminants it concentrates.

2021 arXiv (Cornell University)
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

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.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrating Lagrangian simulations of plastic pollution with chemical advection-diffusion processes to account for cetacean ingestion risk within the Pelagos Sanctuary

Researchers modeled microplastic transport and cetacean ingestion risk in the Mediterranean's Pelagos Sanctuary, combining Lagrangian ocean simulations with chemical transport processes. The study highlights how plastic pollution hotspots overlap with the habitat of whales and dolphins, increasing their ingestion risk.

2019 Virtual Community of Pathological Anatomy (University of Castilla La Mancha) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Oceanic Transport and Source Inference of Nanoplastics

This thesis advances understanding of nanoplastic origins, transport, and fate in the ocean using numerical Lagrangian simulations, computing virtual particle trajectories to reconstruct transport pathways, infer pollution sources, and assess accumulation dynamics of nanoplastics in marine environments.

2025
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

Lagrangian Transport of Marine Litter in the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers analyzed the largest available set of Lagrangian drift data from the Mediterranean Sea to model floating litter transport, finding a general tendency for plastic debris to accumulate in the southern and southeastern Levantine basin — areas not yet targeted by observational campaigns.

2017 Frontiers in Environmental Science 136 citations
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

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

Quantifying Transboundary Plastic Pollution in Marine Protected Areas Across the Mediterranean Sea

Researchers used a Lagrangian drift model to quantify transboundary plastic pollution in Mediterranean marine protected areas, finding that 13 of 15 countries had at least one MPA where over 55% of macroplastic originated from foreign sources.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Study of contaminants transported by microplastics in the Lebanese marine environment

Researchers investigated microplastics in the Lebanese Mediterranean coastal environment as vectors for contaminant transport, applying multi-scope analytical approaches to assess environmental risks posed by plastic-associated pollutants including heavy metals, persistent organic compounds, and other chemical classes.

2022 theses.fr (ABES)
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Frontiers in Marine Science 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of Particle Size and Fragmentation on Large-Scale Microplastic Transport in the Mediterranean Sea

Modeling of microplastic transport in the Mediterranean Sea showed that particle size and density strongly influence vertical distribution and large-scale dispersal patterns. Incorporating plastic fragmentation into the model predicted mass loss over time but also a shift toward smaller, more numerous particles that travel further and are harder to remove.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Modelling the Uptake and Exchange of Microplastics in Marine Ecosystems using a Novel, Integrated System of High-Resolution Numerical Models

Researchers developed an integrated high-resolution numerical model to simulate how microplastics are taken up and exchanged among organisms in marine ecosystems. The model couples physical ocean circulation with biological uptake, egestion, and transfer through the food web. Such models help predict how microplastics from different sources distribute throughout marine food chains and ultimately reach fish and other seafood consumed by humans.

2023
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

Three-dimensional Lagrangian microplastic transport simulations in the Gulf of Naples (Southern Tyrrhenian Sea)

Researchers used the Campania Regional Ocean Model coupled with a Lagrangian particle tracking algorithm to simulate three-dimensional transport of microplastics of varying size and density in the Gulf of Naples during winter and summer 2016. The simulations reveal how seasonal hydrological differences and polymer properties drive distinct horizontal and vertical dispersion patterns for microplastics in this heavily anthropogenically stressed coastal sea.

2024
Article Tier 2

Pathways and Hot Spots of Floating and Submerged Microplastics in Atlantic Iberian Marine Waters: A Modelling Approach

Researchers combined a global ocean reanalysis model with a Lagrangian particle-tracking model to simulate the transport pathways and accumulation zones of both floating and submerged microplastics originating from southwestern Iberian coastal waters. The modelling approach identified key hotspots and transport corridors for microplastic pollution in Atlantic Iberian marine waters.

2022 Journal of Marine Science and Engineering 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Identifying the Origins of PET Nanoplastics in the Abyssal South Atlantic Using Backtracking Lagrangian Simulations with Fragmentation

Researchers used Lagrangian ocean simulations to backtrack PET nanoplastics found at 5,170 meters depth in the South Atlantic Ocean to their likely sources. The modeling suggested the particles originated from coastal areas and were transported to the deep sea through ocean circulation over years to decades. The findings demonstrate that nanoplastics can reach the deepest parts of the ocean far from their land-based origins.

2023
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

Inferring microplastics origins in the Mediterranean Sea by coupling modelling and in-situ measurements

Researchers combined Lagrangian particle-tracking modelling with in-situ manta-net trawls north of the Balearic Islands and along the Balearic Front in autumn 2019 to infer the origins of Mediterranean microplastics. They found that the area north of Mallorca acts as a temporary three-month retention zone for microplastics originating from the Northern Current and Gulf of Lion, while retention along the Balearic Front was less clear due to frontal dynamics and strong northerly winds.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic trajectories and fates in the Canary Current System using TrackMPD

Researchers applied the TrackMPD Lagrangian modeling framework to explore how physical processes including ocean currents and particle properties control microplastic trajectories and fates in the Canary Current System, releasing virtual particles upstream of the Canary Islands using Atlantic-Iberian Biscay Irish operational ocean model fields.

2024
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