Researchers from Spanish and Portuguese scientific institutions have developed a mathematical model capable of detecting the movement of microplastics in marine waters.
This work is highly useful for monitoring polluting discharges and provides a valuable tool for environmental control.
International collaboration in marine research
The project, carried out by scientists from the Marine Research Institute and the Oceanographic Center of Cádiz (Spain), as well as from the Instituto Português de Mar e da Atmosfera of the University of Lisbon, has applied a mathematical model to track particles discharged in the mouths of the rivers in Cádiz.
The results have confirmed that these pollutants move and accumulate in the ocean, estuaries, and rivers, with the Guadalquivir and Guadiana rivers being the main entry points for microplastics into marine waters.
Behavior of microplastics according to density
The analysis reveals that the characteristics of plastics, whether they float or sink, determine where they accumulate and how they disperse, from coastal waters to the ocean floor.
Global issue: microplastics in the oceans
The conclusions have been published in the article “Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of density: A Langragian modelling approach” in the journal Science of The Total Environment. The study details how particles of different densities were analyzed, simulating from lightweight materials like polyethylene to denser plastics like PVC.
The goal is to understand how ocean currents and rivers transport and accumulate these particles. Less dense plastics, like bags and packaging, tend to float and accumulate near the coasts, while denser ones, like PVC, sink rapidly and accumulate on the seafloor.
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