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Sông Sài Gòn: Extreme Plastic Pollution Pathways in Riparian Waterways
Peter Cleveland1, Ann Morrison1
1School of Future Environments Huri Te Ao, Faculty of Design and Creative Technologies, Auckland University of Technology, City Campus, Auckland 1010, New Zealand.
Sensors (Basel, Switzerland)
|February 13, 2025
Summary
This study tracked single-use plastic bottles in Vietnam's Saigon River using a GPS device. Findings provide crucial data for understanding plastic pollution transport and improving waste management strategies.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Marine Biology
- Pollution Control
Background:
- Plastic pollution in waterways is a major global issue, with rivers acting as conduits for land-based waste to reach marine environments.
- Understanding the movement of single-use plastic bottles is critical due to their significant contribution to marine plastic waste.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design, develop, and deploy a plastic pollution tracking device to monitor the journey of plastic bottles.
- To generate high-fidelity data on plastic transport in the Saigon River to inform prevention strategies.
- To raise public awareness about plastic pollution during Vietnam's Plastic Awareness Month.
Main Methods:
- Developed and deployed a GPS-enabled plastic pollution tracking device equipped with drone flight controller, open-source software, embedded computing, and cellular networking.
- Tracked the device's journey through the Saigon River, collecting GPS position, track data, and localized environmental conditions.
- Disseminated findings and raised public awareness via the Re-Think Plastics Vietnam website.
Main Results:
- Generated novel, high-resolution empirical data on plastic transport dynamics in an urban tidal river system.
- Mapped the trajectory and temporal experience of single-use plastic bottles in the Saigon River.
- Collected localized conditions data experienced by the tracker.
Conclusions:
- The study provides valuable data for understanding plastic pollution behavior in aquatic ecosystems.
- Findings can inform improved waste interception strategies and environmental policies for plastic prevention in the Mekong Delta.
- Illuminating plastic bottle transport in urban waterways aids collective efforts to preserve aquatic ecosystems.
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