Dr Maciej Liro from the Institute of Nature Conservation of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) is conducting research on the pollution of Carpathian mountain waters with macroplastic.

The aim of the scientist from the Polish Academy of Sciences is to study the waters in the Carpathians in terms of macroplastic pollution (plastic fragments with a diameter greater than 5 mm) and to understand what factors favor its accumulation in the river.

-Our research goals are not only to show which places in river valleys are most polluted with plastic, but also to explain why this is happening on a local and regional scale – emphasizes Dr Maciej Liro. To answer these questions, we are collecting data during field research and providing their interpretation based on the already existing maps, flood simulations and high-resolution imaging of river areas realized by a drone.

The results of the project will allow providing the first information in the literature on the degree of macroplastic pollution in mountain rivers in the vicinity of the Carpathian Mountains, and will also enable scientists to compare this phenomenon with rivers in other parts of the world.