Evaluating settling velocities of microplastics-sediment mixtures under laboratory conditions

Summary

This laboratory study investigated how microplastics behave when mixed with natural sediment particles and allowed to settle in water, finding that the combined aggregates settle at different rates than either material alone. Smaller microplastics were particularly prone to forming flocs with sediment, which can accelerate their sinking and burial in riverbeds and lake bottoms. Understanding these settling dynamics is important for predicting where microplastics accumulate in aquatic environments and how they interact with the food chain.