Abstract
Modelling the Marine Microplastic Distribution from Municipal Wastewater in Saronikos Gulf (E. Mediterranean)
Highlights
Most of the world’s marine pollution comes from the land according to the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Pollution [1], while the 60-80% of marine pollutants are made of plastics [2]
Our results show that the model captures quite well the observed sea surface height (SSH) pattern Figure 2, a model deviation from the observed values was produced
A 3-D coupled hydrodynamic-Lagrangian-Individual Based Model (IBM) model was developed and applied to simulate the microplastics (< 300 μm) distribution of municipal wastewaters origin in the Saronikos Gulf
Summary
Most of the world’s marine pollution comes from the land according to the Joint Group of Experts on the Scientific Aspects of Marine Environmental Pollution [1], while the 60-80% of marine pollutants are made of plastics [2]. Microplastics are plastic particles with diameter less than 5 mm, originating from the breakdown of larger plastic pieces and from a variety of substances, such as personal care products and textiles, entering the ocean mainly from wastewater treatment facilities [3,4,5]. Of smaller cities that still lack of wastewater treatment facilities, a considerable amount of microplastics is released into the marine environment, especially smaller particles (4 million inhabitants), especially through the WWTP of Psitallia. To assess the current status of plastic pollution, identifying the main pathways and accumulation areas of marine microplastics in Saronikos Gulf, a modelling tool has been developed and applied to simulate the dispersion and pathways of microplastics, after their release from WWTPs
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
