Movement patterns of riverine litter

Williams, A. T.; Simmons, Sarah

doi:10.1007/bf02128653

Cited by 42 publications

(22 citation statements)

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“…However, several studies in this group had a large proportion of AL categorized as “other,” contributing to the similarity. Authors reported items as “other,” or we used “other” to classify miscellaneous AL categories not used in our study (e.g., “clinker” in Pham et al ; “sewage‐related” in Williams and Simmons ). Some authors grouped AL categories as “other,” but we considered them separate material categories, such as ceramic, paper, and wood (Williams and Simmons ; Oigman‐Pszczol and Creed ; Abu‐Hilal and Al‐Najjar ; Pham et al ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A majority of AL research is focused on marine environments where AL has a broad geographic distribution and high density (Eriksen et al ; Cózar et al ; Pham et al ). Sources of marine AL include offshore inputs such as dumping by ships, and land‐based sources such as littering by beachgoers, trash dumping, sewers, and river export (Williams and Simmons ; Abu‐Hilal and Al‐Najjar ; Ryan et al ). Many studies consider rivers a major AL source to marine environments (Galgani et al ; Araújo and Costa ; Ivar Do Sul and Costa ; Corcoran et al ), yet there are few quantitative measurements of AL abundance, assemblages, and export within river ecosystems (Williams and Simmons ; Hoellein et al ; Rech et al ).…”

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confidence: 99%

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Anthropogenic litter is abundant, diverse, and mobile in urban rivers: Insights from cross-ecosystem analyses using ecosystem and community ecology tools

McCormick

Hoellein

2016

Limnol. Oceanogr.

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Anthropogenic litter (AL; trash) in the environment is increasing and persistent. Rivers are considered a major source of AL to oceans, but AL ecology within rivers is rarely examined. Also, the rapidly developing field of AL research will benefit from fundamental approaches in community and ecosystem ecology. We adapted methods for communities of organisms and movement of organic matter to measure density, mass, assemblages, sources, and flux of AL in riparian and benthic zones at 15 sites in five rivers. We compared riverine AL density, mass, and assemblages to marine habitats worldwide. Benthic zones had greater AL mass and a different assemblage than riparian zones. Reach‐scale metrics of human activity (e.g., parking spaces) explained more variation in AL assemblages than total urban land use. AL export was driven by material type and hydrology, and turnover time was ≤ 1 yr. Riparian AL density was similar to beaches, but benthic AL density was higher than marine benthic habitats. Finally, AL assemblages in river benthic and riparian zones were similar to assemblages at beaches rather than marine benthic habitats. AL is abundant and mobile in rivers, which show dynamic periods of AL retention and export. Rivers are likely sites of AL breakdown and burial, with significant biotic interactions which have not yet been studied. Comprehensive assessments of AL across ecosystems require continued adaptation of fundamental ecosystem and community ecology tools. Results will integrate riverine AL dynamics with the growing field of marine AL ecology, and inform management of global AL accumulations.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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confidence: 99%

Anthropogenic litter is abundant, diverse, and mobile in urban rivers: Insights from cross-ecosystem analyses using ecosystem and community ecology tools

McCormick

Hoellein

2016

Limnol. Oceanogr.

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“…Since there are no standardized protocols yet, available data is often collected inconsistently and is reported in different units. One of the first studies to quantify plastic pollution in river systems was done by Williams and Simmons (), who counted the number of plastic items along the Cynon river (UK). Several other studies only reported the amount of collected samples, as the main interested was often to analyze the polymer type of item class (Morritt et al, 2014; Tramoy, Colasse, Gasperi, & Tassin, ).…”

Section: Examples Of Observed Riverine Plastic Debris Around the Globementioning

confidence: 99%

Plastic debris in rivers

2019

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Plastic pollution in aquatic ecosystems is an emerging environmental risk, as it may negatively impacts ecology, endangers aquatic species, and causes economic damage. Rivers are known to play a crucial role in transporting land‐based plastic waste to the world's oceans, but riverine ecosystems are also directly affected by plastic pollution. To better quantify global plastic pollution transport and to effectively reduce sources and risks, a thorough understanding of origin, transport, fate, and effects of riverine plastic debris is crucial. In this overview paper, we discuss the current scientific state on plastic debris in rivers and evaluate existing knowledge gaps. We present a brief background of plastics, polymer types typically found in rivers, and the risk posed to aquatic ecosystems. Additionally, we elaborate on the origin and fate of riverine plastics, including processes and factors influencing plastic debris transport and its spatiotemporal variation. We present an overview of monitoring and modeling efforts to characterize riverine plastic transport, and give examples of typical values from around the world. Finally, we present an outlook to riverine plastic research. With this paper, we aim to present an inclusive and comprehensive overview of riverine plastic debris research to date and suggest multiple ways forward for future research. This article is categorized under: Science of Water > Water Quality Water and Life > Stresses and Pressures on Ecosystems

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“…Accordingly, plastics are considered one indicator of the Anthropocene [1]. Plastic has for some time been known to be a major component of riverine pollution [2][3][4][5][6], and plastic degradation products have been noted as a potential issue for soil environments [7]. However, up until recently the main focus of research on plastic pollution has been the marine environment.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics Are Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Freshwater Environments: An Overview

Lambert

Wagner

2017

The Handbook of Environmental Chemistry

214

137

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In recent years, interest in the environmental occurrence and effects of microplastics (MPs) has shifted towards our inland waters, and in this chapter we provide an overview of the issues that may be of concern for freshwater environments. The term 'contaminant of emerging concern' does not only apply to chemical pollutants but to MPs as well because it has been detected ubiquitously in freshwater systems. The environmental release of MPs will occur from a wide variety of sources, including emissions from wastewater treatment plants and from the degradation of larger plastic debris items. Due to the chemical makeup of plastic materials, receiving environments are potentially exposed to a mixture of microand nano-sized particles, leached additives, and subsequent degradation products, which will become bioavailable for a range of biota. The ingestion of MPs by aquatic organisms has been demonstrated, but the long-term effects of continuous exposures are less well understood. Technological developments and changes in demographics will influence the types of MPs and environmental concentrations in the future, and it will be important to develop approaches to mitigate the input of synthetic polymers to freshwater ecosystems.

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Movement patterns of riverine litter

Cited by 42 publications

References 1 publication

Anthropogenic litter is abundant, diverse, and mobile in urban rivers: Insights from cross-ecosystem analyses using ecosystem and community ecology tools

Anthropogenic litter is abundant, diverse, and mobile in urban rivers: Insights from cross-ecosystem analyses using ecosystem and community ecology tools

Plastic debris in rivers

Microplastics Are Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Freshwater Environments: An Overview

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