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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris

Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris

Published on: July 28, 2018

The missing ocean plastic sink: Gone with the rivers.

Lisa Weiss¹, Wolfgang Ludwig², Serge Heussner²

¹CEFREM, UMR 5110 University of Perpignan-CNRS, F-66860 Perpignan Cedex, France. lisa.weiss@univ-perp.fr.

Science (New York, N.Y.)

|July 2, 2021

Summary

River plastic pollution estimates are overestimated. Reanalysis shows microplastic flux is much lower, increasing their ocean surface residence time and reducing the need for a missing plastic sink.

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Last Updated: Oct 30, 2025

Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris

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Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

Protocol for Microplastics Sampling on the Sea Surface and Sample Analysis

Published on: December 16, 2016

Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Oceanography
Pollution Studies

Background:

Millions of tons of plastic enter oceans annually via rivers, yet surface plastic amounts are far lower.
This imbalance suggests a missing sink responsible for rapid plastic removal from the ocean surface.

Purpose of the Study:

To re-evaluate riverine plastic flux assessments using updated data.
To determine the actual residence time of microplastics in the ocean surface.

Main Methods:

Statistical reanalysis of updated microplastic data.
Comparison of ocean and river sampling techniques for microplastics.

Main Results:

River flux assessments for microplastics are overestimated by 100 to 1000 times.
The estimated residence time of microplastics at the ocean surface increases from days to years.

Conclusions:

The theoretical need for a missing plastic sink is significantly reduced.
Current microplastic pollution models require revision based on more accurate flux data.