Abstract
Global estimations state that between 0.5 and 12.7 million metric tons of plastic enter the oceans each year. They are however associated with great uncertainties due to methodological difficulties to accurately quantify land-based plastic fluxes into the oceans. New studies at basin scale are thus needed for better model calibrations. Here, a modelling approach based on Jambeck’s statistical method and a field approach are compared in order to (i) quantify plastic fluxes in the Seine River and (ii) characterize and constrain uncertainties of both approaches. Despite the simplicity of the statistical approach and rough extrapolations, both methods yield similar results, i.e. between 1,100 and 5,900 t/yr of plastic litter flowing into the Seaof which about 88–128 t/yr are removed by cleaning operations. According to the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (2008/56/EC) , actions are required to quantify plastic fluxes entering the oceans. Among different methods, a better use of the data from the waste collection should be considered. The development of a national and homogenous platform listing all the collects would be a first step in that direction.
Highlights
Since the 1950s, the production of plastic increased from 1.7 to 335 million of metric tons in 2016 (PlasticsEurope, 2017)
Whereas the proportion of plastic packaging (16%) – mainly films and PET bottles – and packaging board is higher than the national average (10% for plastic packaging)
The various approaches lead to estimates ranging from 1,100 to 5,900 t/yr of plastics entering the Seine River
Summary
Since the 1950s, the production of plastic increased from 1.7 to 335 million of metric tons in 2016 (PlasticsEurope, 2017). Even if they are produced in urban areas, their physical and chemical properties make them the Plastics in the Seine Basin predominant part of the litter in natural environments, even on isolated pacific islands, pristine sea ice or sea floors (Barnes et al, 2009). They constitute an increasing threat for freshwater ecosystems (Eerkes-Medrano et al, 2015; Wilcox et al, 2015; Li et al, 2018). A better understanding of how plastics are transferred from continents to the oceans and in which amount is of great interest, especially since it seems easier to remove plastic litter from almost unidimensional rivers than from tridimensional oceans
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