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Filter effect of Rhine floodplain vegetation on microplastic deposition during a single flood event in Germany
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Researchers examined the role of floodplain vegetation in controlling microplastic deposition during a single Rhine River flood event in Germany, finding that vegetation cover acts as a physical filter affecting spatial distribution of deposited microplastics beyond the topographic and flood-frequency controls identified in previous studies.
Many studies have shown that rivers are affected by microplastic contamination. They can transport microplastics but also act as reservoirs where microplastics can accumulate in river beds and banks, temporarily and for long-term. During flooding, these microplastics can be re-mobilized with the sediments and can be re-deposited in floodplains or transported further downstream. While recent studies suggested that the distribution of microplastics in floodplains is controlled by local topography and flood frequency, the role of vegetation cover in the spatial distribution of microplastics is not known. Therefore, we assume that the vegetation cover of the floodplain plays a crucial role for the retention and deposition of flood-introduced microplastics. Additionally, this important aspect for understanding the transport and subsequent long-term accumulation of microplastics in floodplains has not been addressed so far. Thus, this study aims to investigate the filter effect of floodplain grassland vegetation on the deposition of microplastics and natural sediments during a single major river flood. Therefore, we collected vegetation samples with flood deposits in a Rhine floodplain in Northern Cologne (Germany) after a summer flooding in 2021. Control samples were taken from a non-flooded part of the floodplain. The deposits were washed off the plants and the microplastics extracted via density separation. Additionally, we applied an enzymatic-oxidative purification before analysing microplastics in the samples with µ-FPA-FTIR imaging. Our study shows that, (i) higher vegetation biomass led to an increased deposition of natural sediments and small microplastics, (ii) natural sediments and small microplastics seem to follow different sedimentation mechanisms, (iii) comparison with control samples allowed to distinguish between fluvial and atmospheric deposition on grassland by numbers, shape, and size of microplastics. These important information add up to the understanding of microplastic transport, retention and subsequent long-term accumulation of microplastics in floodplains at the interface of fluvial and terrestrial ecosystems. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559074/document
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Filter effect of Rhine floodplain vegetation on microplastic deposition during a single flood event in Germany
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how Rhine floodplain vegetation filtered microplastic deposition during a single flood event in Germany, documenting that plant cover created distinct spatial deposition patterns and acted as a significant physical barrier concentrating particles compared to unvegetated floodplain surfaces.
The role of floodplain vegetation in filtering microplastics during a major Rhine flood event
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Researchers investigated microplastic deposition on Rhine floodplain vegetation during a major flood event, finding that floodplain vegetation significantly increases hydraulic roughness and reduces flow velocities, enhancing MP capture and acting as an important filter for microplastics remobilized from the riverbed during high-discharge events.
The fate of microplastics in Rhine floodplains: process and patterns of deposition, distribution and vertical migration in the soil
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Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution and vertical migration in three Rhine floodplains near Cologne, Germany, examining lateral distribution patterns, whether meadow vegetation filters microplastics during flooding, and vertical depth profiles in floodplain soils. The study found that microplastics deposit during flood events, with both lateral distance from the river and vegetation cover influencing spatial distribution and vertical penetration in floodplain soils.
A multi-method analysis of microplastic abundance in Rhine floodplains as a function of their local topography and flood frequencies
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Researchers measured microplastic abundance in Rhine River floodplain sediments at different distances from the river and at different times relative to flood events. Flooding was found to both deposit and remobilize microplastics across floodplains, creating complex spatiotemporal patterns. The study highlights that floodplains are important temporary storage areas for microplastics and that flood dynamics play a major role in transporting them across river-terrestrial ecosystem boundaries.
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