Here's what it's all about

Every day, up to 2,500 metric tons of plastic waste enter the world’s oceans via rivers, with harmful effects on the animals living there as well as on the livelihoods of communities that depend on these waters.

Our project investigates how microplastics and larger plastic debris move and behave within river systems and where they accumulate, for example. By gaining a better understanding of the underlying physical processes of plastic transport in rivers, our target is to develop more effective methods for monitoring and predicting plastic drift—and thereby ultimately lay the groundwork for removing plastic waste before it reaches the ocean.

What We Want to Achieve

Our target is to understand when and where plastic pollution is mobilized, transported, and accumulated in river systems. Using high-speed cameras, large experimental tanks, a flume, and field studies, the project enables detailed observation and description of the behavior of plastic particles under realistic flow and turbulence conditions.

These results form the basis for hydraulic models capable of simulating the transport of plastic in rivers and support both engineering solutions to reduce pollution and the identification of hotspots as part of environmental risk assessment.

In the long term, the project targets providing practical tools and scientific insights for environmental agencies, policymakers, and river management organizations working to reduce plastic pollution in water bodies.

Further Information

The funding is primarily intended to support researchers; the necessary research infrastructure is already available at the institute. In addition, the research project targets giving KIT students the opportunity to gain research experience through internships or master’s theses within the framework of the project.

Facts and Figures