Researchers from Spanish and Portuguese scientific institutions have developed a mathematical model capable of detecting the movement of microplastics in marine ecosystems, work that can be highly useful for monitoring polluting discharges.
They are scientists from the University Institute of Marine Research and the Oceanographic Center of Cádiz (Spain), as well as the Portuguese Institute of Sea and Atmosphere of the University of Lisbon, according to an official statement published this Sunday.
The study has applied a mathematical model to monitor the particles that are discharged at the mouth of the rivers of Cádiz (southwestern Spain).
The results have confirmed that These pollutants move and accumulate in the ocean and that estuaries and rivers, especially the Guadalquivir and Guadiana, are some of the main gateways for microplastics to enter the sea..
Additionally, the analysis shows 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.
The conclusions are collected in the article ‘Spatial distribution of microplastics in the Gulf of Cadiz as a function of density: A Langragian modeling approach’, published in the journal Science of The Total Environment.
The document details how plastic particles of different densities were analyzed, simulating everything from light materials such as polyethylene, used in bags, to denser plastics such as PVC, used in pipes.
The objective is to understand how marine currents and rivers in the area transport and accumulate these particles.
The conclusions determine that less dense plastics, such as those from bags and containers, tend to float and accumulate near the coasts, especially in the first centimeters of the water column.
The densest ones, such as PVC or polystyrene, sink quickly and accumulate on the sea floor at depths of up to 50 meters, although some could later be carried away by currents.