Department of Sciences, University Roma Tre, Viale Guglielmo Marconi 446, 00146 Rome, Italy.
Biosciences Institute, Federal University of Mato Grosso, 78060-900 Cuiabá, MT, Brazil.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 10;955:176528. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176528. Epub 2024 Sep 25.
Anthropogenic litter, such as plastic, is investigated by the global scientific community from various fields employing diverse techniques. The goal is to assess and finally mitigate the pollutants' impacts on the natural environment. Plastic litter can accumulate in different matrices of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, impacting both biota and ecosystem functioning. Detection and quantification of macroplastics, and other litter, can be realized by jointly using visual census and remote sensing techniques. The primary objective of this research was to identify the most effective approach for monitoring macroplastic litter in riverine and marine environments through a comprehensive survey based on the experiences of the scientific community. Researchers involved in plastic pollution evaluated four litter occurrence and flux investigation methods (visual census, drone-based surveys, satellite imagery, and GPS/GNSS trackers) through a questionnaire. Traditional visual census and drone deployment were deemed as the most popular approaches among the 46 surveyed researchers, while satellite imagery and GPS/GNSS trackers received lower scores due to limited field validation and short performance ranges, respectively. On a scale from 0 to 5, visual census and drone-based surveys obtained 3.5 and 2.0, respectively, whereas satellite imagery and alternative solutions received scores lower than 1.2. Visual and drone censuses were used in high, medium and low-income countries, while satellite census and GPS/GNSS trackers were mostly used in high-income countries. This work provides an overview of the advantages and drawbacks of litter investigation techniques, contributing i) to the global harmonization of macroplastic litter monitoring and ii) providing a starting point for researchers and water managers approaching this topic. This work supports the selection and design of reliable and cost-effective monitoring approaches to mitigate the ambiguity in macroplastic data collection, contributing to the global harmonization of macroplastic litter monitoring protocols.
人为垃圾，如塑料，正受到全球科学界不同领域的研究，采用了不同的技术。目的是评估并最终减轻污染物对自然环境的影响。塑料垃圾会在水生和陆地生态系统的不同基质中积累，影响生物多样性和生态系统功能。可以通过联合使用目视普查和遥感技术来检测和量化大塑料和其他垃圾。本研究的主要目的是通过基于科学界经验的全面调查，确定监测河流和海洋环境中大塑料垃圾的最有效方法。参与塑料污染研究的人员通过问卷评估了四种垃圾出现和通量调查方法（目视普查、基于无人机的调查、卫星图像和 GPS/GNSS 跟踪器）。在接受调查的 46 名研究人员中，传统的目视普查和无人机部署被认为是最受欢迎的方法，而卫星图像和 GPS/GNSS 跟踪器的得分较低，原因是现场验证有限和性能范围较短。在 0 到 5 的范围内，目视普查和基于无人机的调查分别获得了 3.5 和 2.0 的评分，而卫星图像和替代方案的评分低于 1.2。目视普查和无人机调查在高、中、低收入国家都有使用，而卫星普查和 GPS/GNSS 跟踪器主要在高收入国家使用。这项工作提供了垃圾调查技术的优缺点概述，有助于：(i) 全球大塑料垃圾监测的协调统一；(ii) 为研究人员和水管理人员提供研究这一课题的起点。这项工作支持选择和设计可靠且具有成本效益的监测方法，以减少大塑料数据收集的模糊性，有助于全球大塑料垃圾监测协议的协调统一。
