A group of 1st-year students of Watermanagement, sampled a riverbank in Rotterdam for plastic litter. This was done for the development of a measurement method for riverine plastics in urban environments. A methodology based on Ospar was tested to validate the sampling technique. This method consists of sampling random square meters along a riverbank. The goal is to develop a valid, easy, and quick process to determine the amount and composition of plastic riverine litter.
During two days, students measured a total grid of 5 x 10 meters. The data collected can be used as reference data for randomized sampling. Students of the Minor Smart Water will collect randomized data in the coming months and compare this to reference data collected in march 2020 and September 2020. This way the ‘random stratified Ospar methodology’ can be validated, and recommendations will be given for further optimization.
Of course, the students also cleaned the river bank and contributed to a cleaner environment!