All is not lost
Deriving a top-down mass budget of plastic at sea
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 15548975 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Albert A Koelmans (0000-0001-7176-4356, Wageningen University & Research, corresponding author), Merel Kooi (0000-0003-0092-5209, Wageningen University & Research), Kara Lavender Law (0000-0002-5298-6751, Sea Education Association), Erik van Sebille (0000-0003-2041-0704, Utrecht University) |
| Year | 2017 |
| Volume | 12 |
| Issue | 11 |
| Pages | 114028-114028 |
| Publication date | 2017-10-20 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Environmental Research Letters (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1748-9326 • E-ISSN: 1748-9326 |
| Publisher | IOP Publishing (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1088/1748-9326/aa9500 |
| OpenAlex | W2767179800 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 6 |
| References cited | 33 |
Understanding the global mass inventory is one of the main challenges in present research on plastic marine debris. Especially the fragmentation and vertical transport processes of oceanic plastic are poorly understood. However, whereas fragmentation rates are unknown, information on plastic emissions, concentrations of plastics in the ocean surface layer (OSL) and fragmentation mechanisms is available. Here, we apply a systems engineering analytical approach and propose a tentative 'whole ocean' mass balance model that combines emission data, surface area-normalized plastic fragmentation rates, estimated concentrations in the OSL, and removal from the OSL by sinking. We simulate known plastic abundances in the OSL and calculate an average whole ocean apparent surface area-normalized plastic fragmentation rate constant, given representative radii for macroplastic and microplastic. Simulations show that 99.8% of the plastic that had entered the ocean since 1950 had settled below the OSL by 2016, with an additional 9.4 million tons settling per year. In 2016, the model predicts that of the 0.309 million tons in the OSL, an estimated 83.7% was macroplastic, 13.8% microplastic, and 2.5% was < 0.335 mm 'nanoplastic'. A zero future emission simulation shows that almost all plastic in the OSL would be removed within three years, implying a fast response time of surface plastic abundance to changes in inputs. The model complements current spatially explicit models, points to future experiments that would inform critical model parameters, and allows for further validation when more experimental and field data become available
Debris · Fragmentation (computing · Settling · Computer Science · Environmental Science · Microplastics and Plastic Pollution · Recycling and Waste Management Techniques · Environmental Engineering · Geology · Oceanography
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| Unique citing works | 6 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,86 |
| Citation span | 2019 - 2025 (7) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 6 |