We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Modeling of heteroaggregation driven buoyant microplastic settling: Interaction with multiple clay particles
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a mathematical model for the heteroaggregation of buoyant microplastics with multiple clay particles, addressing the limitation of existing single-clay-particle models that cannot accurately simulate settling behavior of low-density plastics. The model improves prediction of vertical microplastic migration in aquatic environments by accounting for interactions with multiple clay particles simultaneously.
The ecological risk of microplastics (MPs) has received widespread attention, but understanding ecological risk starts with understanding environmental migration. Heteroaggregation is an important process that affects the vertical migration of MPs, and the mathematical model is a common tool used to project the migration behavior of MPs. However, the mathematical model based on the aggregation of MPs with one clay particle is not applicable to simulate the migration behavior of buoyant microplastic (BMP). Hence, this study developed a model for heteroaggregation of one BMP with multiple clay particles based on the Population Balance Equation, and the main factors affecting the sedimentation of BMP are clarified through parameter sensitivity analysis and scenario simulation. The results show that neglecting the interaction of one BMP with multiple clay particles in the mathematical model can underestimate the predicted settling concentration of BMP, especially in aqueous environments with higher clay concentration and salinity. The settling process of BMP is controlled by the heteroaggregation rate, which is sensitive to environmental conditions and insensitive to particle properties. This study emphasizes the importance of considering the interaction of one BMP with multiple clay particles in the future mathematical model, which will provide a more reliable prediction of the migration of MPs in aquatic environments.
More Papers Like This
Sedimentation behavior of aggregated microplastics: Influence of particle size and water constituents in environmental waters
AI summary Read the abstract
Laboratory experiments investigated how aggregation of microplastics with sediments and organic matter affects their sinking rates in water, finding that aggregate composition strongly influences settling velocity. These findings improve models predicting whether microplastics sink to the seafloor or remain suspended in the water column.
Influence of typical clay minerals on aggregation and settling of pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how common clay minerals affect the aggregation and settling behavior of pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics in water. They found that high salt concentrations promoted the settling of microplastics when clay minerals were present, and that electrostatic repulsion was the dominant force governing interactions between plastics and clay particles. The findings provide new insights into how microplastics are transported and deposited in natural water systems.
Parameterization of microplastic-sediment aggregation for improved fate modelling
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed parameterisation for microplastic-sediment aggregation (MSA) to improve fate modelling of microplastics in rivers and estuaries, using laboratory experiments to quantify how suspended sediment aggregation with microplastics forms larger, denser flocs with increased settling velocities. The parameterisation was incorporated into numerical transport models to better predict microplastic sinks in aquatic environments.
Mechanistic investigation of homo- and heteroaggregation of micro- and nanoparticles in aquatic systems
AI summary Read the abstract
This study investigated the aggregation behavior of micro- and nanoparticles including microplastics in aquatic systems, developing mechanistic models to understand how water chemistry and particle properties determine whether plastic particles clump together or remain dispersed — affecting their environmental fate and toxicity.
Statistical Thermodynamic Description of Heteroaggregation between Anthropogenic Particulate Matter and Natural Particles in Aquatic Environments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a thermodynamic model to describe how nanoparticles and microplastics aggregate with each other and with natural particles in aquatic environments. Understanding aggregation processes is critical for predicting how microplastics move through water systems and where they ultimately settle.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.