The role for engineering in plastic pollution in our waterways and coasts
Plastics are a long-lasting contaminant that raises challenges like no other pollutant before. They are responsible for millions of animal deaths each year and can pose problems to human health. Solutions are urgently needed, based as close to plastic sources as possible, with rivers and coasts being key elements in their pathways of transport. In this seminar we will explore the problems raised by plastics in these water bodies and their dynamics. Current state of the art knowledge will be presented, and the discussion will address civil and environmental engineering aspects of this problem.
Learning outcomes:
Daniel Valero will talk about debris transport in rivers and why this is an environmental problem that civil and environmental engineers must tackle. He will explain the different modes of transport of debris in rivers known to date, the role of baseflow and floods, and why the plastic pollution problem might be bigger than anticipated.
Erik van Sebille will talk about the transport processes of macro- and microplastic in the near-shore zone, and the role of fragmentation on beaches in generating microplastics from macroplastics. He will highlight why removal of microplastic from coastlines is a relatively effective method of preventing microplastic from ending up in the “plastic soup”.
About the Speakers
Professor, Institute of Marine and Atmospheric Research Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Erik van Sebille has two main researcher interests. For 80% of his appointment, he is an oceanographer and climate scientist. His research focuses on how ocean currents transport heat, nutrients, marine organisms and plastic litter. He builds computer models to simulate the transport of this ‘stuff’ in the ocean. For the other 20%, he is affiliated with the Freudenthal Institute, where he leads research into the effectivity of Public Engagement activities and the role of academics in society, within the context of Open Science.
Senior Lecturer, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering Imperial College London, UK
Dr Valero is a Senior Lecturer in the Fluid Mechanics Section in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Imperial College London. His research focuses on the complex mechanics of turbulent multiphase flows in civil and environmental engineering problems, including the transport of plastics and other litter in rivers.
