Preliminary Assessment Method of Micro and Macro Plastic Sources Origin

Identifying the micro and macro plastic sources, transport vectors and the plastic litter path to the sea is currently a difficult and crucial issue, given the coexistence of multiple variables. With this preliminary study, we intend to develop a methodology that can be applied on a large scale in future studies. For each of the four types of main urbanized scenarios (industrial/harbour/fluvial/remote area), a series of variables have been identified, integrated with a weighted approach (assigning a different weight to each variable), highlighting the specific site characteristics. This methodology will allow the creation of predictive maps of vulnerability in future selected Mediterranean test sites.