Dynamique de transfert des macroplastiques en estuaire de Loire: trajectoires et facteurs d'influence

The quantification of macroplastics fluxes transferred by rivers generates increasing researches but a better assessment of these fluxes requires a precise understanding of macroplastics transfer dynamic within estuaries, environments at the land-ocean interface. Following the strategy deployed in the Seine estuary during the Macro-Plast project, this study aims to characterize macroplastics trajectories in the Loire estuary. Plastic bottles with different buoyancy were therefore equipped with GPS-trackers and released at different locations of the estuary between January 2020 and July 2021, during variable conditions of water flow and tidal ranges. 35 trajectories of maximum two months were monitored. Trajectories demonstrated a high spatiotemporal variability with total distances travelled by the tracked bottles ranging from 100 m to 103.6 km. The distances travelled by the tracked bottles were however lower in the Loire estuary that in the Seine one. Indeed, the specific geomorphology of the Loire estuary (riverbanks with gentle slope, submersible areas, reedbeds) lead to a fast stranding and hard remobilization of macroplastics. Bottles buoyancy plays a key role in macroplastics transfer dynamic but their trajectories animated by back and forth movements and stranding/remobilization processes highlighted that they are also influenced by other environmental factors including tides. This complex transfer dynamic and the fact that like in the Seine estuary, no bottle reached the ocean environment, raises questions on the real fluxes transferred from continental environments to oceans estimated with statistical methods.