The effect of groyne field on trapping macroplastic. Preliminary results from laboratory experiments

Macroplastic, a precursor of microplastic pollution, has become a new scope of research interest. However, the physical processes of macroplastic transport and deposition in rivers are poorly understood, which makes the decisions of where to locate macroplastic trapping infrastructure difficult. In this research, we conducted a series of experiments in a laboratory channel, exploring the impact of groynes and flexible artificial vegetation on the floating macroplastic litter. The goal was to investigate the litter paths with different obstruction arrangements, which was done by implementing a particle tracking technique on video recordings from each experimental run. We found that increasing discharge correlated with the number of plastic litter floating into the recirculation zone within the groyne fields, especially if the upstream groyne had an extended length. This produced a strong mixing interface between the main flow and the groyne field, while a vegetation patch added in the same groyne field changed the paths of plastic litter by deflecting the flow. We noticed that during a moderate discharge rate, the litter pieces flowing into the groyne field with the vegetation circulated there for the longest period, and some of them got entangled between floating stems when discharge was at its lowest. This phenomenon points to the conclusion that low flow velocity paired with the presence of vegetation can be a primer for plastic deposition and consequently, its degradation. The insights from the experiment allowed us to recommend a place downstream of an extended groyne as the desirable (efficient) area for installing a plastic trapping infrastructure or conducting plastic cleaning actions. [Display omitted] •Macroplastic particles paths in a river can be altered by groynes and vegetation.•Physical experiments with plastic pieces in a 5 × 60 m concrete channel were conducted.•The particle tracking method effectively traces the trajectories of plastic litter.•Particles accumulated most downstream extended groyne during a higher discharge.•In the presence of vegetation residence time of litter was on average 46 % longer.