Author(s): Gabor Fleit; Timea Nagy; Andras Kristof Malnas; Daniel Husztik; Csaba Ilcsik; Attila David Molnar; Miklos Gyalai-Korpos; Sandor Baranya

Linked Author(s): Sándor Baranya

Keywords: Plastic pollution; Riverine macroplastic transport; GPS tagging; Hydrodynamic modeling

Abstract: Rivers around the globe have been increasingly exposed to plastic pollution. Rivers function as conveyors in the transport of plastics, from the sources to the oceans. During the transport of macroplastics in rivers, a significant amount is retained temporarily or permanently both in the riverbed or in the floodplain. The dynamics of macroplastics are governed by hydrological variables and river morphology. Moreover, the vegetation, wind, river regulation structures, dams and other kinds of obstacles also play a deterministic role, though, their physical behavior is poorly understood. First, we need to gain a better understanding of the role of river hydromorphology, which can be well supported by numerical modelling approaches combined with suitable field data. In this study, we exploit a three-dimensional computational hydrodynamic model to analyze the trajectories of macroplastics transported by the river flow. As a case study, the Hungarian section of the Bodrog river was selected, which is extremely exposed to macroplastic pollution. The results of the numerical simulations have been further processed with a novel method that accounts for the transient nature of large-scale turbulence. The numerical simulations were complemented with field data, represented by GPS tracking of actual trajectories of PET bottles. For this, a new measurement methodology has been developed which enables realtime mapping as well as the postprocessing of macroplastic transport in rivers. The goal of the study is to introduce these state-of-the-art computational and field measurement methodologies, and to discuss their capabilities, limitations and needs for further developments.

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3850/978-90-833476-1-5_iahr40wc-p0815-cd

Year: 2023