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Anthropogenic litter, such as plastic, is investigated by the global scientific community from various fields employing diverse techniques. The goal is to assess and finally mitigate the pollutants' impacts on the natural environment. Plastic litter can accumulate in different matrices of aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, impacting both biota and ecosystem functioning. Detection and quantification of macroplastics, and other litter, can be realized by jointly using visual census and remote sensing techniques. The primary objective of this research was to identify the most effective approach for monitoring macroplastic litter in riverine and marine environments through a comprehensive survey based on the experiences of the scientific community. Researchers involved in plastic pollution evaluated four litter occurrence and flux investigation methods (visual census, drone-based surveys, satellite imagery, and GPS/GNSS trackers) through a questionnaire. Traditional visual census and drone deployment were deemed as the most popular approaches among the 46 surveyed researchers, while satellite imagery and GPS/GNSS trackers received lower scores due to limited field validation and short performance ranges, respectively. On a scale from 0 to 5, visual census and drone-based surveys obtained 3.5 and 2.0, respectively, whereas satellite imagery and alternative solutions received scores lower than 1.2. Visual and drone censuses were used in high, medium and low-income countries, while satellite census and GPS/GNSS trackers were mostly used in high-income countries. This work provides an overview of the advantages and drawbacks of litter investigation techniques, contributing i) to the global harmonization of macroplastic litter monitoring and ii) providing a starting point for researchers and water managers approaching this topic. This work supports the selection and design of reliable and cost-effective monitoring approaches to mitigate the ambiguity in macroplastic data collection, contributing to the global harmonization of macroplastic litter monitoring protocols., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Research on the discharge of synthetic microfibres to aquatic environments has typically focused on laundering, where fibres can be discharged via wastewater effluent. However emerging research suggests that microfibres generated during the wear of textiles in normal use could present a major, additional, pathway for microfibre pollution to the environment. This study aimed to quantify and compare the quantities of microfibre entering the marine environment via both these pathways; wastewater discharge and atmospheric deposition. Areas of high and low population density were also evaluated. Samples were collected in and around two British cities (Bristol and Plymouth) both of which are located on tidal waters. Fibres originating from the atmosphere were deposited at an average rate of 81.6 fibres m 2 d -1 across urban and rural areas. Treated wastewater effluent contained on an average 0.03 synthetic fibres L -1 . Based on our results we predict ~20,000-500,000 microfibres could be discharged per day from the Wastewater Treatment Plants studied. When the two pathways were compared. Atmospheric deposition of synthetic microfibres appeared the dominant pathway, releasing fibres at a rate several orders of magnitude greater than via treated wastewater effluent. Potential options to reduce the release of microfibres to the environment are discussed and we conclude that intervention at the textile design stage presents the most effective approach. In order to guide policy intervention to inform the Plastics Treaty UNEA 5.2, future work should focus on understanding which permutations of textile design have the greatest influence fibre shedding, during both everyday use and laundering., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Florence Parker-Jurd, Imogen Napper, Stephanie Wright, Richard Thompson reports financial support was provided by United Kingdom Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Efforts to understand macroplastic pollution have primarily focused on coastal and marine environments to the exclusion of freshwater, terrestrial, and urban ecosystems. To better understand macroplastics in the environment and their sources, a dual approach examining plastic input and leakage can be used. In this study, litter aggregation pathways at 40 survey sites with varying ambient population counts in the Ganges River Basin were surveyed in pre- and postmonsoon seasons. We examine active litter leakage using transect surveys of on-the-ground items, in conjunction with assessments of single-use plastic consumer products at the point of sale. We find that sites with low populations have a significantly higher number of littered items per 1,000 people than those with mid to high populations. Over 75% of litter items were plastics or multimaterial items containing plastic, and tobacco products and plastic food wrappers were the most recorded items. There was no significant variation of litter densities pre- and postmonsoon. Most single-use plastic consumer products were manufactured in-country, but approximately 40% of brands were owned by international companies. Stratified sampling of active litter input and consumer products provides a rapid, replicable snapshot of plastic use and leakage.

Mt. Everest, one of the most coveted climbing mountains on earth, also contains the highest altitude chemical contamination on land. For the first time, meltwater and snow samples from Mt. Everest's Khumbu Glacier were analyzed for "forever chemicals" per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Our research team utilized solid-phase extraction (SPE) and liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to identify pollutants sampled from Everest Base Camp, Camp 1, Camp 2, and Everest Balcony. From the 14 PFAS compounds tested for, we found perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS), perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA) in Mt. Everest snow and meltwater. The highest concentrations found were 26.14 ng/L and 10.34 ng/L PFOS at Base Camp and Camp 2, respectively. However, PFAS species were seen within 1-2 orders of magnitude in all sampling sites with detection, potentially suggesting a widespread presence on the mountain. Our samples are the highest altitude PFAS samples ever retrieved and indicate the need for further sampling both on Mt. Everest and in the below-glacier watershed., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest Authors T. Taruscio, G. Solomon, and M. Ritari are employed by the company Anatek Labs. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Published by Elsevier B.V.)

In 2019, the National Geographic and Rolex Perpetual Planet Everest expedition successfully retrieved the greatest diversity of scientific data ever from the mountain. The confluence of geologic, hydrologic, chemical and microbial hazards emergent as climate change increases glacier melt is significant. We review the findings of increased opportunity for landslides, water pollution, human waste contamination and earthquake events. Further monitoring and policy are needed to ensure the safety of residents, future climbers, and trekkers in the Mt. Everest watershed.

Rivers worldwide are now acting as major transport pathways for plastic pollution and discharge large quantities of waste into the ocean. Previous oceanographic modelling and current drifter data have been used to predict the movement and accumulation of plastic pollution in the marine environment, but our understanding of the transport and fate through riparian systems is still largely unknown. Here we undertook a proof of concept study by applying open source tracking technology (both GPS (Global Positing System) cellular networks and satellite technology), which have been successfully used in many animal movement studies, to track the movements of individual plastic litter items (500 ml PET (polyethylene terephthalate) drinks bottles) through the Ganges River system (known as the Ganga in India and the Padma and Meghna in Bangladesh, hereafter known as the Ganges) and the Bay of Bengal. Deployed tags were successfully tracked through the Ganges river system and into the Bay of Bengal marine system. The "bottle tags" were designed and built (e.g. shape, size, buoyancy) to replicate true movement patterns of a plastic bottle. The maximum distance tracked to date is 2845 km over a period of 94 days. We discuss lessons learnt from the development of these plastic litter tags, and outline how the potential widespread use of this open source technology has the ability to significantly increase understanding of the location of accumulation areas and the timing of large inputs of plastic pollution into the aquatic system. Furthermore, "bottle tags" may act as a powerful tool for stimulating social behaviour change, informing science-based policy, and as valuable educational outreach tools for public awareness., Competing Interests: The author CR is employed by a commercial company: Icoteq Ltd, who were hired as subcontractors to develop elements of the hardware used in this project. All hardware and software developed by Icoteq Ltd is licenced under GPLv3 & CERN 1.2, both open source licensing agreements. This does not alter our adherence to PLOS ONE policies on sharing data and materials.