NUMERICAL MODELING OF MICROPLASTIC TRANSPORT IN ARCTIC WATERS

Abstract

In order to analyse the transport of microplastics in the waters of the Arctic Ocean and identify areas of potential particle concentration, this study employs three-dimensional numerical modelling, a tool that has been proven to be effective for scientific research into water pollution, complementing environmental monitoring. The numerical model enables the calculation of particle trajectories using a Lagrangian transport model, accounting for seasonal variations in environmental conditions, such as the direction and velocity of currents and ice drift, the thermohaline state of the ocean, and the intensity of biofilm accumulation and degradation processes on the surface of microplastics. The present study analyses the characteristics of the distribution in Arctic waters of floating microplastics originating from the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The presence of a moving ice cover has been identified as a significant factor influencing the trajectory of plastic particles in polar waters. Furthermore, biofouling processes have been shown to play a determinative role in the depth to which floating particles sink. The results of simulated numerical experiments also indicated that the anticyclonic circulation of the Canadian Basin, the continental slope of the Chukchi Sea, and the Barents Sea are areas of potential microplastic accumulation in the Arctic Ocean, in accordance with the water circulation system and ice drift.