Applicability of the WASP8 in simulating river microplastic concentration

Monitoring river microplastics is a challenging task since it is a time-consuming and high-cost process. The use of a physical model to have a better understanding of river microplastics’ behaviors can complement the challenging monitoring process. However, there have been very limited studies on modeling river microplastics. In this study, therefore, we evaluated the applicability of one commonly used river water quality model, i.e., the Water Quality Analysis Simulation Program (WASP), in simulating the microplastic concentration in the river environment. We simulated the microplastic concentration in the Anyangcheon stream using the WASP’s biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) and suspended solid (SS) variables as possible surrogate variables for the microplastics. Simulation analyses indicate that the SS state variable performs better than the BOD state variable to mimic the observed concentrations of microplastics. This is because of the characteristics of each water quality parameter; the BOD variable, a biochemical indicator, is inappropriate for modeling the behaviors of microplastics, which have generally constant biochemical features. In contrast, the SS variable, which has similar physical behaviors, followed the observed patterns of the microplastic concentrations well. To build a more advanced and accurate model for simulating the microplastic concentration, comprehensive and long-term monitoring studies of the river microplastics under different environmental conditions are needed, and the unit of microplastic concentration should be carefully addressed before its modeling application.