Microplastics are tiny particles that due to their small size, durability, and widespread usage have become a huge threat to the world and the environment. Aquatic environments like rivers and oceans have faced some irreparable problems such as the extinction of various marine species. Field sampling and numerical modeling are two methods that can help researchers have a better understanding of the situations to come up with the best solutions. Machine learning methods have drawn considerable attention in most engineering fields recently, which can be used in conjunction with field sampling and numerical simulation.
In this study, by generating a fine mesh and using bathymetry, water level, and discharge data, a three-dimensional hydrodynamic modeling of the domain of study was conducted using TELEMAC 3D, which is a model that was used to simulate the behavior of the Fraser River in x, y, and z directions. The results were implemented to track the movements of microplastic particles in the lower part of the Fraser River. CaMPSim-3D, which is a three-dimensional Lagrangian particle tracking model was employed to track microplastic particles. This model, in addition to calculating the horizontal location of particles, computes their vertical movements too. The release locations of microplastic particles were chosen based on the locations of the wastewater treatment plants and combined sewer overflows and in the end, nine scenarios were conducted for this study. An unsupervised branch of machine learning is clustering which helps to cluster points by relying on their different properties. The OPTICS algorithm, which is a density-based clustering algorithm, was used to find the accumulation zones of microplastic particles in the lower part of the Fraser River.
It should be mentioned that in all parts available measured data and information were used for validation. The results of the clustering algorithm indicated that there are eight accumulation zones in the study area and the breakwater in the upper branch of the Fraser River is an ideal place for microplastic particles to accumulate. A reasonable agreement was obtained between the model results and measured data.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:uottawa.ca/oai:ruor.uottawa.ca:10393/44952 |
| Date | 16 May 2023 |
| Creators | Babajamaaty, Golnoosh |
| Contributors | Mohammadian, Abdolmajid, Pilechi, Vahid |
| Publisher | Université d'Ottawa / University of Ottawa |
| Source Sets | Université d’Ottawa |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | application/pdf |
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