The Full Multi: An Open-Source, Multispecies, Multisize, Multimedia Framework for Modelling the Fate of Plastic Particles in Aquatic Systems

We present an open-source modelling framework to explore environmental fate and transport of plastic particles in aquatic systems. The “Full Multi” models 1) fragmentation of plastic into a predefined set of size classes, 2) speciation of plastic particles between pristine, heteroaggregated, biofouled, and biofouled & heteroaggregated species, 3) dynamic vertical exchange between water layers and sediment of a freshwater system, and 4) horizontal particle transport by eddy diffusion and advective flow. The Full Multi framework relates emission rates and intrinsic properties of plastic particles and variable environmental system properties, to environmental exposure concentrations. The model can be applied to analyse scenarios with different process descriptions, plastic types, emission routes and environmental parameters for hypothesis generation, to identify dominant fate processes, and in hazard and risk assessment. Here, we illustrate the framework by modelling plastic particles with a range of densities in a generic flowing river system.