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Riverine systems are directly affected by plastic pollution and function as pathways for plastic transport to the sea. Plastic litter can enter the water by remobilization from the bed or from the riverbank, after which it can be transported with the flow. The process of remobilization is still poorly understood. To get a detailed understanding of the role rivers play in plastic transport and hence develop management measures to prevent or mitigate plastic transport it is vital to get a fundamental understanding of the factors contributing to remobilization of plastic on the riverbank. Therefore, we investigated how the wave action of inland navigation, one of the dominant actors in anthropogenic rivers, affects the remobilization of land-based plastics. Quantification of remobilization was performed along the riverbank of an intensely navigated river in the Netherlands (the river Waal) allowing for a real-world assessment of remobilization. Plastic pieces were placed at standardized distances from the average waterline to determine the plastic remobilization along the riverbank at different locations. Subsequently, wave actions of passing inland navigation was used to assess plastic remobilization. Inland navigation induced wave action was found to significantly cause remobilization of plastics present on the riverbank. The distance of the plastic object to the waterline combined with the wave height, riverbank slope and plastic size significantly affected remobilization probability. Overall, the remobilization effect was strongest on plastics present within ≤ 1.0 m from the waterline. With a wave height ≥ 0.5 m all plastics present up to 3.0 m from the waterline were remobilized and thereby potentially transported downstream through the river.

Plastic pollution in the ocean occurs mainly via riverine transport. In rivers, plastic is pervasive in sediments and in the water column. Monitoring of floating plastics in rivers is time consuming as it is usually collected using nets and classified by hand, or counted and classified visually. To make plastic detection in the water column more time- and cost-efficient, there is a need to explore remote sensing options. Here we present the results of two semi-controlled pilot tests in standing water using two imaging sonar technologies: an Adaptive Resolution Imaging Sonar (ARIS) sonar and a low-cost side-scan sonar (SSS). Additionally, the ARIS sonar was tested in flowing water at a sheltered shore channel behind a longitudinal training dam in the river Waal, Netherlands. Both technologies were able to detect 100% of the macroplastics tested in standing water. The ARIS sonar provided higher resolution images of the targets tested due to its high operation frequency detecting macroplastics down to a size of 1 cm2. The ARIS sonar detected macroplastics in the field, however, the detection decreased to 67% in flowing water. This sonar was limited to the 2D horizontal position of targets. The SSS is a low-cost option for monitoring of plastics and is integrated with CHIRP sonar technology that combines side and down imaging providing the 3D position of targets. For future monitoring, an ARIS sonar in motion or two ARIS sonars used simultaneously may provide the necessary 3D spatial information of plastic targets.