Transportation of microplastic during high-flow and low-flow seasons in southeastern Black Sea: A modelling approach

Abstract

Predicting the transportation patterns of microplastic particles is crucial for assessing the environmental risks. The present work studied the transportation and accumulation of floating microplastic particles released from the largest river basin (Değirmendere), on the southeastern Black Sea coast. A total of 2 scenarios were simulated for high-flow and low-flow seasons to predict the effect of freshwater input on the concentration, transportation and accumulation patterns of microplastic particles by using a Lagrangian model; the Estuarine, Coastal Ocean Model with Sediment Transport (ECOMSED) model. Microplastic concentration varied between 168 – 1412 particle/m³ and 0 – 843 particle/m³ in the high-flow and low-flow seasons, respectively. Microplastic particles released from the river showed different accumulation patterns with time. However, the particles tended to accumulate on coastal waters in both scenarios. The present study provides a baseline for determining the hotspots for the accumulation of floating microplastic particles to assess optimal sampling locations and risk assessment in the southeastern Black Sea.