Nazife (Naz) Oruc Baci, a Ph.D. student at the University of Georgia and researcher at CITRA, presented her cutting-edge research at the European Geosciences Union (EGU) General Assembly 2025 in Vienna, Austria. Her presentation, titled “Tracing Plastic Pathways: Laboratory Validation and Sensitivity Insights in Overland Transport Numerical Models,” highlighted novel findings from laboratory experiments and numerical simulations that explore how plastic moves over land during wet weather events.
🌍Key Highlights:
- Innovative research approach: Naz’s study applies laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to simulate how plastic debris moves across terrestrial landscapes before reaching waterways. By validating simulations with controlled experiments, her work highlights critical sensitivity factors such as particle weight, buoyancy shifts, and hydrodynamic conditions.
- Real‑world applications: Findings from her research provide concrete guidance for mitigation strategies—identifying zones of plastic accumulation and informing policy to reduce land‑to‑water transport during rainfall and wind events.
- Collaborative roots: The study is conducted under the guidance of co-authors Felix Luis Santiago‑Collazo and Jenna Jambeck, with support from the University of Georgia’s environmental systems engineering community.
At EGU, Naz’s talk sparked engaging discussions with experts, showcasing Citra’s leadership in advancing understanding of environmental plastic pollution and modeling techniques.
