Human Population Density is a Poor Predictor of Debris in the Environment

Schuyler, Qamar; Wilcox, Chris; Lawson, T.J.; Ranatunga, R.R.M.K.P.; Hu, Chieh-Shen; Hardesty, Britta Denise

doi:10.3389/fenvs.2021.583454

Cited by 45 publications

(43 citation statements)

References 31 publications

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“…A similar observation was made by Wong et al that there is no correlation between microplastic pollution in the Tamsui river system and population density in the catchment area [24]. As already observed in other studies, e.g., in Vietnam [32], in France [51] or on a global scale [52], population density seems to be not necessarily a factor for high levels of plastic pollution. It could be possible that in areas of high population density debris enters the river but is then transported further downstream and deposited along the riverbanks.…”

Section: Correlation Of Pollution Levels With Population Densitysupporting

confidence: 83%

Rapid-Survey Methodology to Assess Litter Volumes along Large River Systems—A Case Study of the Tamsui River in Taiwan

Schneider

Kunz

Hu³

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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Riverbanks are an important source of plastic pollution. However, the current assessment methods for riverbank litter are based on a point-based sampling which is time consuming and limited in scope. To quickly assess hotspot areas and litter compositions in larger areas, this study developed a new citizen science bicycle survey for riverine debris. Covering 281.5 km of the Tamsui river system in Taiwan, the new methodology was tested at one of the most plastics polluted rivers in the world. The results revealed an average litter density of 15.3 m3/km at the river mouth and of 0.2 m3/km to 2.8 m3/km along the riverbanks further upstream. The coastline was mainly polluted by derelict fishing gear whereas single-use plastics and illegally dumped waste dominated the upstream areas. A correlation between litter and population density could not be identified, but it was noted that litter hotspots occur at cut banks and near mangrove vegetation. Overall, the new methodology proved suitable to collect large quantities of data for scientific purposes and to quickly detect litter accumulations prior to clean-up activities.

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Section: Correlation Of Pollution Levels With Population Densitysupporting

confidence: 83%

Rapid-Survey Methodology to Assess Litter Volumes along Large River Systems—A Case Study of the Tamsui River in Taiwan

Schneider

Kunz

Hu³

et al. 2021

Sustainability

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“…7−11 However, more people living in an area do not necessarily implicate more litter on the ground in a local context. 12 There are other potential influencing factors such as availability of products and packaging, waste management capacity and design, governance and regulations, and cultural contexts.…”

Section: ■ Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rapid Characterization of Macroplastic Input and Leakage in the Ganges River Basin

Youngblood

Brooks

Das

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Efforts to understand macroplastic pollution have primarily focused on coastal and marine environments to the exclusion of freshwater, terrestrial, and urban ecosystems. To better understand macroplastics in the environment and their sources, a dual approach examining plastic input and leakage can be used. In this study, litter aggregation pathways at 40 survey sites with varying ambient population counts in the Ganges River Basin were surveyed in pre-and postmonsoon seasons. We examine active litter leakage using transect surveys of on-the-ground items, in conjunction with assessments of single-use plastic consumer products at the point of sale. We find that sites with low populations have a significantly higher number of littered items per 1,000 people than those with mid to high populations. Over 75% of litter items were plastics or multimaterial items containing plastic, and tobacco products and plastic food wrappers were the most recorded items. There was no significant variation of litter densities pre-and postmonsoon. Most single-use plastic consumer products were manufactured in-country, but approximately 40% of brands were owned by international companies. Stratified sampling of active litter input and consumer products provides a rapid, replicable snapshot of plastic use and leakage.

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“…Since human activities are the source for microplastics, wastewater is considered as a major emission pathway (e.g., Mintenig et al, 2016;Ziajahromi et al, 2016;Kay et al, 2018;Prata, 2018). For untreated wastewater, high microplastic concentrations between 10 1 and10 4 particles/L are reported (Gatidou et al, 2019;Sun et al, 2019), but municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are efficient in removing microplastics (Carr et al, 2016;Talvitie et al, 2017;Gies et al, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Plastics in the Environment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Solutions

2021

Frontiers Research Topics

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Frontiers is more than just an open-access publisher of scholarly articles: it is a pioneering approach to the world of academia, radically improving the way scholarly research is managed. The grand vision of Frontiers is a world where all people have an equal opportunity to seek, share and generate knowledge. Frontiers provides immediate and permanent online open access to all its publications, but this alone is not enough to realize our grand goals. Frontiers Journal SeriesThe Frontiers Journal Series is a multi-tier and interdisciplinary set of open-access, online journals, promising a paradigm shift from the current review, selection and dissemination processes in academic publishing. All Frontiers journals are driven by researchers for researchers; therefore, they constitute a service to the scholarly community. At the same time, the Frontiers Journal Series operates on a revolutionary invention, the tiered publishing system, initially addressing specific communities of scholars, and gradually climbing up to broader public understanding, thus serving the interests of the lay society, too. Dedication to QualityEach Frontiers article is a landmark of the highest quality, thanks to genuinely collaborative interactions between authors and review editors, who include some of the world's best academicians. Research must be certified by peers before entering a stream of knowledge that may eventually reach the public -and shape society; therefore, Frontiers only applies the most rigorous and unbiased reviews. Frontiers revolutionizes research publishing by freely delivering the most outstanding research, evaluated with no bias from both the academic and social point of view. By applying the most advanced information technologies, Frontiers is catapulting scholarly publishing into a new generation. What are Frontiers Research Topics?Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact

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Human Population Density is a Poor Predictor of Debris in the Environment

Cited by 45 publications

References 31 publications

Rapid-Survey Methodology to Assess Litter Volumes along Large River Systems—A Case Study of the Tamsui River in Taiwan

Rapid-Survey Methodology to Assess Litter Volumes along Large River Systems—A Case Study of the Tamsui River in Taiwan

Rapid Characterization of Macroplastic Input and Leakage in the Ganges River Basin

Plastics in the Environment: Understanding Impacts and Identifying Solutions

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