Work

Estimating Macroplastic Mass Transport from Urban Runoff in a Data-Scarce Watershed: A Case Study from Cordoba, Argentina

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Accelerated urban growth has increased the generation of urban solid waste, particularly in densely populated urban areas, which negatively affects both the environment and public health. This study analyzes the relationship between the socio-environmental vulnerability of riverside population sectors, the accumulation of garbage and its mobilization during precipitation events in the Suquia River basin, in Cordoba, Argentina. For the integration of tools, satellite images and, Google Street View tours were used, where waste accumulation points and their relationship with drainage problems in Villa Páez were identified. The data obtained from socio-environmental surveys and field observations were integrated into the EPA SWMM hydrological model to simulate scenarios with different garbage collection schedules. The results showed a significant increase in the dragging of plastics, especially in high-magnitude precipitation events, aligning with global studies on the mobilization of plastic waste. This work highlights the need for a georeferenced socio-environmental database to improve waste management in urban areas and mitigate the socio-environmental impacts of plastic transportation. It also raised the need for multidisciplinary and, integral studies for the study of plastic transport in urban basins to cover the study from the generation of waste to the transport of the contaminant linked to hydrology.

Source: Sustainability

DOI: 10.3390/su17136177