Researchers at the Institute of Water and River Basin Management (IWG), together with partners from the Netherlands and Australia, have tested conventional assumptions about plastic transport in rivers. The cooperation partners tracked more than 3,000 plastic particles with a multi-camera system and discovered that the particles behave differently depending on their position in the river. Previous methods for estimating plastic pollution are mainly based on observations at the water surface, but neglect the differently behaving particles transported underwater. It is estimated that the actual amount of plastic waste in water bodies could be up to 90 percent higher than previously thought. The new findings should help improve monitoring, more realistically estimate the total amount and develop more effective methods to remove plastic from water bodies.

Further links:

• Press release of KIT

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