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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Potential Micro-Plastics Dispersal and Accumulation in the North Sea, With Application to the MSC Zoe Incident
ClearStatistical analysis of effects of MSC Zoe incident on populations of protected species in Wadden Sea and North Sea.
Following the 2019 cargo ship accident that spilled plastic pellets near the Dutch Wadden Sea, researchers assessed the impact on protected marine species and habitats. The spill highlighted how plastic pellet accidents can rapidly contaminate sensitive coastal ecosystems with microplastic precursors.
On some physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environment
This study examined the physical and dynamical properties of microplastic particles in marine environments, using modeling to predict how particle shape, density, and size govern transport, dispersion, and accumulation patterns.
Numerical Modelling Techniques for Marine Debris : A Systematic Literature Review
This systematic review surveys numerical modeling approaches used to track the fate and transport of marine plastic debris, covering particle tracking models, hydrodynamic simulations, and bibliometric trends. Understanding how plastic moves through ocean systems is critical for identifying pollution hotspots and designing effective cleanup or prevention strategies.
Microplastic Distribution Characteristics Considering the Marine Environment Based on Surface Seawater Quality Parameters in Southern Sea of Korea, 2019
Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution characteristics in marine environments using spatial modeling, identifying accumulation zones and transport pathways driven by ocean currents, depth, and particle density.
Transport, weathering and pollution of plastic from container losses at sea: Observations from a spillage of inkjet cartridges in the North Atlantic Ocean
Researchers tracked polypropylene inkjet cartridges spilled from a container ship in the North Atlantic, documenting roughly 1,500 cartridges beached from Florida to northern Norway over four years and using their distribution to trace major surface ocean current pathways including the North Atlantic Gyre.
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.
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.
Numerieke modellering van dispersie van plastic in aquatische milieus
This study developed numerical models to simulate the dispersal and spatiotemporal dynamics of microplastics in aquatic environments — including freshwater, estuarine, coastal, and marine systems — to complement field observations that alone cannot capture the full complexity of plastic transport.
Review on the distribution of microplastics in the oceans and its impacts: Need for modeling-based approach to investigate the transport and risk of microplastic pollution
This review synthesizes evidence on microplastic distribution across global oceans and argues that modeling-based approaches are urgently needed to better understand transport pathways and assess pollution risks at scale.
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.
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.
Observational and model studies on transport and inventory of microplastics from a leak accident on the beaches of Yantai
Researchers investigated a microplastic spill event in Yantai, China, using sediment sampling and Lagrangian particle tracking models to estimate the total amount released and predict dispersal patterns. The spill deposited an estimated 514 kilograms of polyethylene pellets across 7 beaches. The study demonstrates how transport modeling can support environmental assessment and cleanup planning after accidental plastic releases.
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.
Model studies on transport of microplastics from a leak accident
Researchers investigated a microplastic spill accident along the Chinese coastline and modeled how the particles dispersed across nearby beaches. The study found significant accumulation on multiple beaches within days of the spill, underscoring the rapid spread of plastic pollution in coastal environments after an accidental release.
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.
Dispersion, accumulation and the ultimate fate of microplastics in deep-marine environments: A review and future directions
This review synthesized existing knowledge on microplastic distribution in deep-marine environments, integrating process-based sedimentological transport models with field data to outline how microplastics disperse, accumulate, and become buried in seafloor sediments, and identifying key gaps for future research.
Nurdle drifters around South Africa as indicators of ocean structures and dispersion
Plastic nurdle pellets spilled in Durban Harbour, South Africa in 2017 were tracked using ocean current and wind models, and beach sighting data from the public helped validate the simulations. The study demonstrates how plastic spill events can be modeled to predict where pollution spreads along coastlines.
Trans-polar drift-pathways of riverine European microplastic
Researchers used Lagrangian particle simulations to model the transport of buoyant microplastics from northern European rivers through the trans-polar drift to the high Arctic. The study found widespread dispersal along the Eurasian continental shelf, across the North Pole, and back into the Nordic Seas, with accumulation zones identified over multi-year timescales. The findings reveal how riverine microplastics from Europe can reach remote Arctic regions through ocean current pathways.
A 3D numerical model to Track Marine Plastic Debris (TrackMPD): Sensitivity of microplastic trajectories and fates to particle dynamical properties and physical processes
The TrackMPD model was introduced as a 3D numerical framework for simulating marine microplastic transport, incorporating particle properties, buoyancy changes, and physical oceanographic processes to improve trajectory and fate predictions.
A particle tracking model approach to determine the dispersal of riverine plastic debris released into the Indian Ocean
Researchers developed a particle tracking model to simulate the dispersal of riverine plastic debris released into the Indian Ocean from surrounding landmasses. The study found that plastic accumulation on beaches peaked during monsoon seasons, with ocean currents, wind, and wave action driving distinct transport patterns, providing valuable data for identifying high-risk coastal areas and informing cleanup strategies.
Transport of marine microplastic particles: why is it so difficult to predict?
This review examines why predicting the transport of marine microplastic particles is challenging, highlighting that the wide distributions of particle density, size, and shape create continuously varying dynamical properties such as sinking velocity and resuspension thresholds. Researchers found that existing numerical models predominantly use simplified single-particle representations and fail to capture how particle properties change over time in the marine environment.
What influences the distribution of microplastics in the marine environment? An interdisciplinary study reveals key factors driving microplastic in the North Sea
Researchers deployed an autonomous surface vehicle in Germany's North Sea Bight to simultaneously sample air, sea surface microlayer, and underlying water for microplastics and extracellular polymeric substances. Combining in-situ oceanographic measurements with MP mass quantification, they found that EPS from microorganisms influences MP aggregation and transport dynamics, helping explain distribution patterns of MPs in the marine environment.
Impacts of changing ocean circulation on the distribution of marine microplastic litter
Researchers modelled the impact of changing ocean circulation on the distribution of marine microplastics, examining how projected shifts in current patterns may alter the accumulation zones and transport pathways of plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm.
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.