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Abstract
1.15-2.41 million tons of plastic waste from rivers enters the ocean every year (Lebreton et al., 2017). The ocean can be seen as the “ultimate sink” for plastic pollution, while the major sources are along rivers around the world. Despite preceding and differing methods to characterize riverine plastic debris, previous studies have indicated a positive relationship between the degree of urbanization and the concentration of plastic pollution within rivers. This project examines four key urban centers along the Mississippi River as a part of the Mississippi River Plastic Pollution Initiative: St. Paul, St. Louis, and Baton Rouge. Beyond a need for characterizing riverine litter, land-based solutions are required in order to prevent more plastic from leaking into the environment. Socio-economic disparities can potentially play a role in this issue and should be taken into consideration when discussing solutions. Previous studies have connected litter concentrations with level of income, waste management infrastructure, and the littering behaviors of individuals. This project characterizes litter data in and near the Mississippi River through a “citizen science” method. Well-documented in previous studies, citizen scientists can track litter on land, log litter accumulation sites, and observe floating riverine litter using the Marine Debris Tracker mobile app, developed ten years ago at UGA. Characterization will include the quantity, concentration, and composition of plastic debris. To find relationships between the spatial distribution of litter concentrations and socio-demographic disparities statistical analyses will be performed. The coding software R is able to create geospatial regression models. There are broader impacts from this research, such as education for all ages, open-source technology and data distribution, and inclusivity of people from underrepresented backgrounds. The data collected from this project is in the hands of the mayors of each town. This data can be used for policy- and decision-making and to design waste management or plastic pollution interventions specific to each city, to reduce plastic entering he Mississippi River.