Sources, transport, and accumulation of different types of plastic litter in aquatic environments: A review study

• Published in: Marine pollution bulletin Vol. 143; pp. 92 - 100
• Main Authors: Schwarz, A.E., Ligthart, T.N., Boukris, E., van Harmelen, T.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01-06-2019; Elsevier BV
• Subjects: Accumulation; Aquatic environment; Composition; Construction; Consumer products; Density; Environmental Monitoring; Fisheries; Food Packaging - instrumentation; Freshwater; Geologic Sediments - analysis; Inland water environment; Litter; Litters (births); Marine environment; Mitigation; Ocean; Ocean currents; Oceans and Seas; Packaging; Plastic debris; Plastic pollution; Plastic waste; Plastics - analysis; Plastics - chemistry; Pollution; Pollution control; Pollution dispersion; Polyethylene; Polyethylene - analysis; Polyethylenes; Polymers; Polymers - analysis; Polypropylene; Polypropylenes - analysis; Rivers; Sediment; Sediments; Transport; Waste Products - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - analysis; Water Pollutants, Chemical - chemistry; Ocean; Composition; Transport; Freshwater; Accumulation; Plastic waste
• ISSN: 0025-326X; 1879-3363
• DOI: 10.1016/j.marpolbul.2019.04.029

Types of plastic waste in different aquatic environments were assessed to obtain a global framework of plastic waste transport and accumulation, relevant for plastic pollution mitigation strategies in aquatic environments. Packaging and consumer products were the most encountered product categories in rivers, while fishery items dominated in the oceanic environment. Plastics from electronics, building and construction, and transport were barely observed. For polymers, polyethylene and polypropylene contributed most to pollution in all environments. The highest diversity in polymer composition was found in oceanic and freshwater sediments. It is therefore argued that a large fraction of plastic waste accumulates here. This confirms that plastic waste transport and accumulation patterns were most affected by the density, surface area, and size of plastics. Only thick-walled, larger plastic debris from low-density polymers are transported through currents from rivers to ocean, while the larger fraction of plastic litter is likely retained in sediments or beaches.
•Plastic polymer composition varies in different aquatic environments.•Not all plastic product categories end up in the environment.•It is likely that plastic waste accumulates in riverine sediments and beaches.•Thick-walled, low density and larger plastics are transported from rivers to ocean.•Plastic polymer, size and shape are required for modeling environmental transport.