Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers

Macroplastic pollution in and around rivers negatively impacts human livelihood, and aquatic ecosystems. Monitoring data are crucial for better understanding and quantifying this problem, and for the design of effective intervention strategies. However, current monitoring efforts are often of short...

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Main Authors: Tim van Emmerik, Paul Vriend, Eric Copius Peereboom
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2022-02-01
Series:Frontiers in Environmental Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.802245/full
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author Tim van Emmerik
Paul Vriend
Paul Vriend
Eric Copius Peereboom
author_facet Tim van Emmerik
Paul Vriend
Paul Vriend
Eric Copius Peereboom
author_sort Tim van Emmerik
collection DOAJ
description Macroplastic pollution in and around rivers negatively impacts human livelihood, and aquatic ecosystems. Monitoring data are crucial for better understanding and quantifying this problem, and for the design of effective intervention strategies. However, current monitoring efforts are often of short duration, or study single river compartments. We present a “Roadmap” to overcome the challenges related to the design and implementation of long-term riverine macroplastic monitoring strategies. This “Roadmap” can help accelerating the process of achieving structural monitoring through providing a stepwise approach, which links monitoring goals and research questions to the data and methods required to answer them. We identify four monitoring goals: 1) policy, 2) knowledge development, 3) operations, and 4) solutions. Linked to these, we provide a non-exhaustive list of 12 globally common research questions that are important to answer to reach these goals. The “Roadmap” takes these questions and links them to development levels of monitoring methods for each river compartment: 1) method development, 2) baseline assessment, and 3) long-term monitoring. At each level, specific questions can only be answered if the level is achieved for specific river compartments. For questions at higher levels, the previous levels need to be achieved first. This creates a clear stepwise approach to solve open challenges. With the “Roadmap”, we provide a new tool to support decision-making and planning of specific projects by policy makers. The “Roadmap” is a clear and stepwise, yet flexible framework that allows to add and remove elements based on new insights, available resources, and other relevant changes.
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spelling doaj.art-962aa75ca4044d4395878f2bb343c0f12022-12-21T17:23:21ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Environmental Science2296-665X2022-02-01910.3389/fenvs.2021.802245802245Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in RiversTim van Emmerik0Paul Vriend1Paul Vriend2Eric Copius Peereboom3Hydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NetherlandsHydrology and Quantitative Water Management Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, NetherlandsMinistry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, Utrecht, NetherlandsMinistry of Infrastructure and Water Management, Directorate-General for Public Works and Water Management, Utrecht, NetherlandsMacroplastic pollution in and around rivers negatively impacts human livelihood, and aquatic ecosystems. Monitoring data are crucial for better understanding and quantifying this problem, and for the design of effective intervention strategies. However, current monitoring efforts are often of short duration, or study single river compartments. We present a “Roadmap” to overcome the challenges related to the design and implementation of long-term riverine macroplastic monitoring strategies. This “Roadmap” can help accelerating the process of achieving structural monitoring through providing a stepwise approach, which links monitoring goals and research questions to the data and methods required to answer them. We identify four monitoring goals: 1) policy, 2) knowledge development, 3) operations, and 4) solutions. Linked to these, we provide a non-exhaustive list of 12 globally common research questions that are important to answer to reach these goals. The “Roadmap” takes these questions and links them to development levels of monitoring methods for each river compartment: 1) method development, 2) baseline assessment, and 3) long-term monitoring. At each level, specific questions can only be answered if the level is achieved for specific river compartments. For questions at higher levels, the previous levels need to be achieved first. This creates a clear stepwise approach to solve open challenges. With the “Roadmap”, we provide a new tool to support decision-making and planning of specific projects by policy makers. The “Roadmap” is a clear and stepwise, yet flexible framework that allows to add and remove elements based on new insights, available resources, and other relevant changes.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.802245/fulllitterwaterpollutiondata collectionhydrologymarine debris
spellingShingle Tim van Emmerik
Paul Vriend
Paul Vriend
Eric Copius Peereboom
Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers
Frontiers in Environmental Science
litter
water
pollution
data collection
hydrology
marine debris
title Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers
title_full Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers
title_fullStr Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers
title_full_unstemmed Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers
title_short Roadmap for Long-Term Macroplastic Monitoring in Rivers
title_sort roadmap for long term macroplastic monitoring in rivers
topic litter
water
pollution
data collection
hydrology
marine debris
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2021.802245/full
work_keys_str_mv AT timvanemmerik roadmapforlongtermmacroplasticmonitoringinrivers
AT paulvriend roadmapforlongtermmacroplasticmonitoringinrivers
AT paulvriend roadmapforlongtermmacroplasticmonitoringinrivers
AT ericcopiuspeereboom roadmapforlongtermmacroplasticmonitoringinrivers