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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Marine & Wildlife Sign in to save

Experimental Study of Microplastic Particle Transport Around Sea Gravel in Waves Plus Current Conditions

Coastal Engineering Proceedings 2025
Giovanni Passalacqua, Remziye İlayda Tan Kesgin, Stefan Carstensen, Claudio Iuppa, Carla Faraci, Bjarke Eltard Larsen, Nils B. Kerpen, Torsten Schlurmann, David R. Fuhrman

Summary

Researchers conducted experimental studies of microplastic particle transport around sea gravel under combined wave and current conditions, extending prior work on non-buoyant particles to characterize how gravel bed roughness and hydrodynamic forces govern microplastic accumulation hotspots.

Study Type Environmental

Microplastics (MPs) are considered to be potentially the most harmful plastic fraction in the ocean (Law and Thompson, 2014). Guler et al. (2022) examined the transport of non-buoyant MP particles beneath irregular breaking waves over a live sediment bed in extended test durations. They identified that accumulation hotspots were largely governed by the particle Dean number. Larsen et al. (2023) developed an approach based on wave-induced transport velocity to predict the onshore transport of buoyant MP particles across a coastal profile. In the present study, we further this research to experimentally investigate the potential retention of MPs under the effects of combined (non-breaking) irregular waves and current in coastal waters by gravel patches having various coverage density.

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