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River plastic emissions to the world’s oceans

Author

Listed:
  • Laurent C. M. Lebreton

    (The Ocean Cleanup Foundation
    The Modelling House)

  • Joost van der Zwet

    (HKV Consultants)

  • Jan-Willem Damsteeg

    (The Ocean Cleanup Foundation)

  • Boyan Slat

    (The Ocean Cleanup Foundation)

  • Anthony Andrady

    (North Carolina State University)

  • Julia Reisser

    (The Ocean Cleanup Foundation)

Abstract

Plastics in the marine environment have become a major concern because of their persistence at sea, and adverse consequences to marine life and potentially human health. Implementing mitigation strategies requires an understanding and quantification of marine plastic sources, taking spatial and temporal variability into account. Here we present a global model of plastic inputs from rivers into oceans based on waste management, population density and hydrological information. Our model is calibrated against measurements available in the literature. We estimate that between 1.15 and 2.41 million tonnes of plastic waste currently enters the ocean every year from rivers, with over 74% of emissions occurring between May and October. The top 20 polluting rivers, mostly located in Asia, account for 67% of the global total. The findings of this study provide baseline data for ocean plastic mass balance exercises, and assist in prioritizing future plastic debris monitoring and mitigation strategies.

Suggested Citation

  • Laurent C. M. Lebreton & Joost van der Zwet & Jan-Willem Damsteeg & Boyan Slat & Anthony Andrady & Julia Reisser, 2017. "River plastic emissions to the world’s oceans," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 8(1), pages 1-10, August.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:8:y:2017:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms15611
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15611
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Nakayama, Tadanobu & Osako, Masahiro, 2023. "Development of a process-based eco-hydrology model for evaluating the spatio-temporal dynamics of macro- and micro-plastics for the whole of Japan," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 476(C).
    2. Chunyan Wang & Yi Liu & Wei‐Qiang Chen & Bing Zhu & Shen Qu & Ming Xu, 2021. "Critical review of global plastics stock and flow data," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 25(5), pages 1300-1317, October.
    3. Moon, DongWhoi & Wang, H. Holly & Hao, Na, 2023. "Consumer behavior in choosing microplastic contaminated seafood across different countries: The role of cultural and attitudinal factors," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 78(C), pages 290-306.
    4. Diana Ita‐Nagy & Ian Vázquez‐Rowe & Ramzy Kahhat, 2022. "Developing a methodology to quantify mismanaged plastic waste entering the ocean in coastal countries," Journal of Industrial Ecology, Yale University, vol. 26(6), pages 2108-2122, December.
    5. Gerard George & Ryan K. Merrill & Simon J. D. Schillebeeckx, 2021. "Digital Sustainability and Entrepreneurship: How Digital Innovations Are Helping Tackle Climate Change and Sustainable Development," Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, , vol. 45(5), pages 999-1027, September.
    6. Raj, Tirath & Chandrasekhar, K. & Naresh Kumar, A. & Kim, Sang-Hyoun, 2022. "Lignocellulosic biomass as renewable feedstock for biodegradable and recyclable plastics production: A sustainable approach," Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, Elsevier, vol. 158(C).
    7. Anna (Anya) Phelan & Helen Ross & Novie Andri Setianto & Kelly Fielding & Lengga Pradipta, 2020. "Ocean plastic crisis—Mental models of plastic pollution from remote Indonesian coastal communities," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 15(7), pages 1-29, July.
    8. Alice Guittard & Ebun Akinsete & Elias Demian & Phoebe Koundouri & Lydia Papadaki & Xenia Tombrou, 2022. "Tackling Single-Use-Plastic in small touristic islands to reduce marine litter: co-identifying the best mix of policies," DEOS Working Papers 2236, Athens University of Economics and Business.
    9. Tobias D. Nielsen & Jacob Hasselbalch & Karl Holmberg & Johannes Stripple, 2020. "Politics and the plastic crisis: A review throughout the plastic life cycle," Wiley Interdisciplinary Reviews: Energy and Environment, Wiley Blackwell, vol. 9(1), January.
    10. Meiwen Guo & Liang Wu & Cheng Ling Tan & Jun-Hwa Cheah & Yuhanis Abdul Aziz & Jianping Peng & Chun-Hung Chiu & Rongwei Ren, 2023. "The impact of perceived risk of online takeout packaging and the moderating role of educational level," Palgrave Communications, Palgrave Macmillan, vol. 10(1), pages 1-18, December.
    11. World Bank, 2021. "Plastic Waste Discharges from Rivers and Coastlines in Indonesia," World Bank Publications - Reports 35607, The World Bank Group.
    12. Nakayama, Tadanobu & Osako, Masahiro, 2024. "Plastic trade-off: Impact of export and import of waste plastic on plastic dynamics in Asian region," Ecological Modelling, Elsevier, vol. 489(C).
    13. Jaspal Singh Chauhan & Deepti Semwal & Mamta Nainwal & Neha Badola & Prashant Thapliyal, 2021. "Investigation of microplastic pollution in river Alaknanda stretch of Uttarakhand," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 23(11), pages 16819-16833, November.

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