standOff, and the article is at its publisher via the link below. When we have changed our mind. Some entries in the table begin with a word in capitals and the reason for it. EVIDENCE CORRECTED — the finding still stands, but we had quoted the wrong sentence from the paper, and the quotation has been replaced with the right one. RETRACTED — the entry itself was wrong; it stays on the page, marked, with the reason, rather than being deleted. WITHDRAWN AND REPLACED — the entry was wrong, and a corrected version of it appears in the entries below. Each mark carries its own reason, in brackets, because the reasons differ from one entry to the next. An entry we have WITHDRAWN is removed from this page and kept in the record, with its reason. A line reading Audit and a date is a later re-reading of the entry against its whole sentence: DOUBTFUL means it was kept, and the reason says what is loose about it. Quotation marks inside the tagger's sentence. Where a tag is the tagger's own sentence, a phrase in quotation marks inside it is borrowed from the paper — the tagger's wording around it is not. The paper's own sentence is the evidence quote for that row; on this page it is withheld with the article, and the article is at its publisher. Nothing inside quotation marks anywhere on this page is ours: if it is quoted, it is the paper's. Whose words a concept carries. A concept entry records a term the paper itself uses, so the term, the sense given for it, and its evidence are the paper's own words, quoted where the paper fixes them. This is the opposite of a sense entry in the tag table, which is the tagger's sentence about how the paper uses a term. Where a concept entry could not be grounded in the paper's words, the entry says so on its own row.| relation to other work | claim_relations | how this paper stands to another: agrees, contradicts, extends, qualifies |
| claim type | claim_type | the shape of the claim: existence, mechanism, method, critique, prediction, null |
| concept | concepts | an idea the paper works with, quoted where the paper uses it |
| content tag | content_tags | a finding, definition, quantity, statistic or variable named in the paper |
| contribution | contribution | what the paper claims to add |
| control | controls | an experiment run to eliminate a rival explanation |
| limitation | limitations | what the paper says its evidence cannot support |
| mechanism | mechanisms | how the reported effect is said to come about |
| method | method | how the paper produced its evidence |
| object of study | object_of_study | what the paper is about — the thing it investigates |
| phenomenon | phenomenon | the effect or regularity under study |
| research question | research_question | the question the paper sets itself |
| sense | senses | a distinct use of a term, quoted where the paper fixes it |
| transfer | transfers | a method or concept carried in from another field |
This record holds no relations between concepts. A layer is empty when the tagger recorded nothing in it — which is not the same as the paper having nothing to record.
| facet | tag | field | conf. | whose words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| object_of_study | the mass of plastic entering the ocean from rivers each year, and how it is distributed in space and across the seasons Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | object_of_study | the paper's words | |
| research_question | how much plastic inland populations contribute to the ocean through rivers - a global figure that did not exist, where the coastal contribution already did Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | research_question | the paper's words | |
| contribution | a global model of riverine plastic input calibrated against 30 field observations from 13 rivers, giving 1.15-2.41 million tonnes per year with its seasonality and its top contributors named Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | contribution | the paper's words | |
| claim_type | existence Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | claim_type | the paper's words | |
| phenomenon | a global flux nobody had measured, whose magnitude turns out to be set by waste management and monsoon rainfall in a handful of Asian catchments Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | phenomenon | the paper's words | |
| method | computational-model Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: computational-model | method | the paper's words | |
| mechanisms | mismanaged waste sits on land until rainfall mobilises it; surface runoff both introduces new plastic to the river during heavy rain and remobilises deposited particles during floods, so input tracks the monsoon rather than the population Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: runoff as the transport term | mechanisms[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| mechanisms | an artificial barrier intercepts surface plastic, so the load reaching the river mouth reflects only the catchment area downstream of the last dam - which is why moving that boundary changes the global total Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: dams as accumulation sinks | mechanisms[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| mechanisms | one catchment with plastic concentrations orders of magnitude above every other sampled river dominates a regression across 30 points, so including it raises the correlation from 0.41 to 0.99 without the model having improved Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | mechanisms[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | the model rests on the assumption that dams intercept ALL plastic, which the authors name as a major assumption; 2.13-4.46 million tonnes per year is generated upstream of dams and simply not counted Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | there is very little data to document the assumptions about Asian contributions or to thoroughly verify the validity of the model - stated by the authors about the region that supplies 86% of their total Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | the estimate covers only the sampled size spectrum - nothing below the net mesh, nothing above the trawl aperture, nothing below the sampled depth - so it is conservative by construction Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | the global prediction doubles from the lower to the upper estimate once the extrapolation uncertainties in the calibration dataset are propagated Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[3] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | studies reporting only particle counts were converted to mass using a mean micro/macro ratio and mean particle masses measured AT SEA, not in rivers - an extrapolation the authors name as a limitation of the calibration Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[4] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | the hydrological model's discharge predictions are known to run dryer than observations across 66 basins, attributed to precipitation uncertainty Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[5] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| limitations | observed plastic concentrations differ by several orders of magnitude between sampled rivers, and sampling designs, devices and reported units vary substantially - so the calibration set is heterogeneous before any model is fitted Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | limitations[6] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| transfers | land-surface hydrology - the GLDAS/NOAH runoff model built for terrestrial water and energy budgets - carried into a plastic-transport estimate as the seasonality term Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | transfers[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| transfers | mean particle masses and the micro-to-macro ratio measured in the open ocean, carried into rivers to convert particle counts into mass where studies reported only counts Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | transfers[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| controls | removing the Yangtze measurement as an outlier before testing the model-observation correlation, rather than reporting the flattering fit Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. eliminates: a model-observation correlation carried by one extreme measurement · outcome: held | controls[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| controls | re-deriving the regression with mismanaged waste counted upstream of dams as well, to test whether the global answer depends on where a dam is treated as a sink Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. eliminates: a global input figure that depends on whether a dam is treated as a sink · outcome: partial | controls[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| controls | choosing monthly rather than yearly averaged runoff, tested against the observed flux inputs instead of assumed Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. eliminates: a runoff averaging window chosen because it fits, rather than because it predicts the observed flux · outcome: held | controls[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| controls | a sensitivity analysis over the micro/macro ratio and mean particle masses, using the ranges observed at sea Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. eliminates: a mass estimate that holds only at one assumed micro-to-macro ratio and one assumed particle mass · outcome: partial | controls[3] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| controls | applying the same model to coastal populations, so the new estimate could be placed against the existing coastal one on its own terms Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. eliminates: a river estimate and a coastal estimate that cannot be compared because they were produced by different models · outcome: held | controls[4] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| controls | the hydrological model's discharge predictions checked against observations in 66 basins worldwide Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. eliminates: a plastic flux resting on modelled discharge that was never checked against a gauge · outcome: partial | controls[5] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| concepts | mass balance Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: mass balance | concepts[0] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | MPW Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: MPW | concepts[1] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | artificial barriers Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: artificial barriers | concepts[2] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | catchment runoff Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: catchment runoff | concepts[3] | 0.85 | the paper's words |
| concepts | buoyant plastics Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: buoyant plastics | concepts[4] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | macro-plastic Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: macro-plastic | concepts[5] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | Yangtze River Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: Yangtze River | concepts[6] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | coastal populations Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: coastal populations | concepts[7] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | sensitivity analysis Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: sensitivity analysis | concepts[8] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| concepts | monthly averaged runoff Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: monthly averaged runoff | concepts[9] | 0.95 | the paper's words |
| senses | model-observation correlation - WITH THE YANGTZE EXCLUDED as an outlier: r=0.4132, P<0.05, n=29. The value the paper uses Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | senses[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| senses | model-observation correlation - WITH THE YANGTZE INCLUDED: r=0.99, P<0.05, n=30, which the authors call much higher and biased. One data point separates the two Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | senses[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| senses | global river plastic input - COUNTING MISMANAGED WASTE DOWNSTREAM OF DAMS: 1.15-2.41 million tonnes per year. The published headline Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | senses[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| senses | global river plastic input - COUNTING WASTE UPSTREAM OF DAMS TOO: 0.76-1.55 million tonnes per year, midpoint 0.91. Same model, same data, a different decision about where a dam stops being a sink Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | senses[3] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| claim_relations | extends → the global estimate of plastic entering the ocean from coastal populations (4.8-12.7 million tonnes per year), by adding the inland contribution transported by rivers Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | claim_relations[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| claim_relations | qualifies → direct comparison between riverine and coastal plastic input estimates, which measure different materials by different methods Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | claim_relations[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| claim_relations | critiques → the state of freshwater plastic monitoring - unstandardised methodologies, incompatible reported units, and particle counts published without masses Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | claim_relations[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| claim_relations | builds-on → the local river sampling studies from Europe, Asia and the Americas that supply the 30 calibration observations across 13 rivers Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | claim_relations[3] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | between 1.15 and 2.41 million tonnes of plastic enters the ocean from rivers each year, with the top 20 rivers accounting for 67% Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.findings[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | the model-observation correlation is 0.41 without the Yangtze and 0.99 with it - the authors call the second biased and use the first Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.findings[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | counting mismanaged waste upstream of dams as well gives 0.76-1.55 million tonnes per year from the same model and data Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.findings[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | more than 74.5% of the annual river plastic input occurs between May and October, driven by the East Asian monsoon Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.findings[3] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | There is very little data to verify the model's assumption of a dominant contribution from Asian rivers. Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.findings[4] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | at least 2.8-18.6% of coastal plastic emissions occur via river transport, with a further 0.79-1.52 million tonnes per year arriving from inland Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.findings[5] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | the ocean-plastic accounting exercise this estimate is offered as baseline data for - the reason the record joins to counts of plastic already at sea Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: mass balance | content_tags.definitions[0] | 0.85 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | dams and weirs, assumed by the model to act as sinks for all plastic particles - named by the authors as a major and conservative assumption Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: artificial barriers | content_tags.definitions[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | the headline annual river plastic input, counting mismanaged waste downstream of dams Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.quantities[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | the same model's answer when waste upstream of dams is counted too Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.quantities[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | the prior estimate of plastic entering the ocean from coastal populations Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.quantities[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | share of the global total from the top 20 polluting rivers Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.quantities[3] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | share of the global total from Asian rivers Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.quantities[4] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | share of freshwater plastic input the model treats as retained behind dams Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. | content_tags.quantities[5] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | Pearson product-moment test Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: Pearson product-moment test | content_tags.statistics[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | r=0.4132 Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: r=0.4132 | content_tags.statistics[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | r=0.99 Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: r=0.99 | content_tags.statistics[2] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | MPW Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: MPW | content_tags.variables[0] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
| content_tags | monthly averaged runoff Quotation withheld — this record is not cleared for redistribution. The sentence is in the paper at the link above. also in: monthly averaged runoff | content_tags.variables[1] | 0.95 | the tagger's words |
Tags that could not be placed in the text:
What was deliberately not tagged, and why, is recorded per paper by the tagger. Where a paper has no such record, this page says so rather than implying that nothing was declined.