Macroplastic Storage and Remobilization in Rivers
1
Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, al. Mickiewicza 33, 31–120 Kraków, Poland
2
Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Wageningen University, Droevendaalsesteeg 3, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands
3
Institute of Geography and Spatial Management, Jagiellonian University, ul. Gronostajowa 7, 30–387 Kraków, Poland
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Water 2020, 12(7), 2055; https://doi.org/10.3390/w12072055
Received: 22 June 2020
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Revised: 13 July 2020
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Accepted: 17 July 2020
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Published: 20 July 2020
The paper presents a conceptual model of the route of macroplastic debris (>5 mm) through a fluvial system, which can support future works on the overlooked processes of macroplastic storage and remobilization in rivers. We divided the macroplastic route into (1) input, (2) transport, (3) storage, (4) remobilization and (5) output phases. Phase 1 is mainly controlled by humans, phases 2–4 by fluvial processes, and phase 5 by both types of controls. We hypothesize that the natural characteristics of fluvial systems and their modification by dam reservoirs and flood embankments construction are key controls on macroplastic storage and remobilization in rivers. The zone of macroplastic storage can be defined as a river floodplain inundated since the beginning of widespread disposal of plastic waste to the environment in the 1960s and the remobilization zone as a part of the storage zone influenced by floodwaters and bank erosion. The amount of macroplastic in both zones can be estimated using data on the abundance of surface- and subsurface-stored macroplastic and the lateral and vertical extent of the zones. Our model creates the framework for estimation of how much plastic has accumulated in rivers and will be present in future riverscapes.
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Keywords:
macroplastic; macroplastic storage; macroplastic remobilization; plastic debris; Anthropocene; human impact; riverine plastic
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This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited
MDPI and ACS Style
Liro, M.; Emmerik, T.v.; Wyżga, B.; Liro, J.; Mikuś, P. Macroplastic Storage and Remobilization in Rivers. Water 2020, 12, 2055. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12072055
AMA Style
Liro M, Emmerik Tv, Wyżga B, Liro J, Mikuś P. Macroplastic Storage and Remobilization in Rivers. Water. 2020; 12(7):2055. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12072055
Chicago/Turabian StyleLiro, Maciej, Tim v. Emmerik, Bartłomiej Wyżga, Justyna Liro, and Paweł Mikuś. 2020. "Macroplastic Storage and Remobilization in Rivers" Water 12, no. 7: 2055. https://doi.org/10.3390/w12072055
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