Introducing RUMBA: Revealing underwater macroplastic pollution using acoustic backscatterIntroducing RUMBA: Revealing underwater macroplastic pollution using acoustic backscatter

Introducing RUMBA: Revealing underwater macroplastic pollution using acoustic backscatter

 

Session: ITS3.19/HS12.4: Advances in plastic pollution monitoring across the Geosphere 

 

The ever-increasing production of (single use) plastics has led to enormous amounts of pollution, threatening ecosystems, livelihood, safety and human health. Large quantities of the littered plastics are trapped in or transported by rivers. Methods for monitoring plastics in rivers mostly focus on floating or deposited plastics, while recent studies show that a substantial proportion of plastics are transported below the water surface. At this stage, mainly nets and heavy machinery are used, making them labor-intensive, expensive and invasive. They are therefore limited to occasional spot measurements.

 

The RUMBA project aims to detect underwater macroplastic pollution (>5 mm) in rivers using acoustic backscatter. While acoustic sensor shows promise for plastic detection (Boon et al., 2023), a comprehensive understanding of how backscatter varies with item characteristics (size, shape, composition, and orientation) under different environmental conditions is still needed. We will test this during controlled, semi-controlled, and uncontrolled settings in Europe and Asia.

 

In this poster presentation we will discuss the aims of RUMBA:(1) identify and distinguish the most common underwater macroplastics, (2) develop an automated detection method, (3) apply and validate the method in field conditions, and (4) use unique historical datasets to uncover trends in plastic transport in Dutch rivers.

 

We anticipate that the results from RUMBA have the potential to provide continuous and/or cross-sectional estimates of underwater plastic transport in rivers, along with measurements of current and sediment concentration. By providing insights into the impact of past interventions on plastic pollution and enabling accurate identification of sources and sinks of plastic litter, this approach could support more effective mitigation and remediation efforts.

 

References

Boon, A., et al. (2023). Detection of suspended macroplastics using acoustic doppler current profiler (ADCP) echo. Frontiers in Earth Science, 11, 1231595.