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Microplastic fibres as active agents in mud deposition
Summary
Microplastic fibers in rivers don't just float along as passive pollution—they actually change how mud and clay particles clump together and sink, making them settle faster and build up more sediment. This matters because it shows plastics are reshaping the physical structure of rivers and waterways in ways scientists hadn't fully appreciated, which could affect water clarity, habitat quality, and potentially how pollutants (including microplastics themselves) accumulate in the sediments where fish and other wildlife live.
Clay-rich sediments are essential to the structure and function of freshwater and transitional ecosystems, affecting turbidity, stabilising channels, and providing important benthic habitats. Microplastics are widely distributed in these environments and have traditionally been seen as passive pollutant carriers, despite their well-known ability to interact with clay minerals. In this study, we explore whether microplastics can actively contribute to mud accumulation by altering the aggregation and settling behaviour of clay particles. Using natural river sediments, we compare flocculation and settling dynamics before and after adding microplastic fibres of different polymer types. Our findings indicate that microplastics facilitate the formation of larger clay flocs compared to those in microplastic-free mud, leading to increased floc settling velocities. Collectively, these processes significantly enhance mud deposition, suggesting that, beyond their recognised role as pollutant carriers, microplastics may exert a broader and previously underestimated influence on natural sedimentary dynamics and associated biomorphodynamic processes.