Ayeri Tolga, Guo Yutong, van Puijenbroek Peter J T M, Hofstra Nynke, Ragas Ad M J, Strokal Maryna
Department of Environmental Science, Radboud Institute for Biological and Environmental Sciences (RIBES), Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 GL Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Wageningen University and Research, Droevendaalsesteeg 4, 6708 PB Wageningen, The Netherlands.
Environ Sci Technol. 2024 Dec 10;58(49):21770-21781. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.4c07730. Epub 2024 Nov 25.
Global mitigation strategies are needed to reduce the amount of microplastics reaching our oceans via rivers. However, what strategies will be most effective, and when and where to implement these strategies is unclear. We applied the global water quality model MARINA-Plastics, covering 10,226 sub-basins worldwide, to assess the effects of different emission reduction strategies on microplastic inputs to rivers worldwide over the period 2010-2100, taking time steps of 10 years. We applied four scenarios: three focused on wastewater treatment technologies, ranging from high to low technology improvement levels, and one combining high technology in wastewater treatment with source-oriented measures. The results show that the combined strategy of high wastewater treatment and source-oriented measures is expected to be the most effective for reducing future microplastics in rivers on a global scale. By 2100, this combined strategy is expected to result in a 68% microplastic reduction in global rivers compared to 2010. African rivers will be the main hotspots, receiving more than five times more microplastics in 2100 than in 2010. In 2100, wear from car tires is expected to be the dominant source of microplastics globally. Our insights support the implementation of the European Green Deal and the realization of Sustainable Development Goal 6 (clean water).
需要全球减缓战略来减少通过河流进入海洋的微塑料数量。然而，哪些战略将最有效，以及何时何地实施这些战略尚不清楚。我们应用了覆盖全球10226个子流域的全球水质模型MARINA-Plastics，以评估不同减排战略在2010年至2100年期间对全球河流微塑料输入的影响，时间步长为10年。我们应用了四种情景：三种情景侧重于废水处理技术，技术改进水平从高到低，一种情景将废水处理中的高科技与源头导向措施相结合。结果表明，高废水处理和源头导向措施相结合的战略预计在全球范围内减少未来河流中的微塑料方面最为有效。到2100年，与2010年相比，这种联合战略预计将使全球河流中的微塑料减少68%。非洲河流将成为主要热点地区，2100年接收的微塑料比2010年多五倍以上。到2100年，汽车轮胎磨损预计将成为全球微塑料的主要来源。我们的见解支持欧洲绿色协议的实施以及可持续发展目标6（清洁水）的实现。
