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Evaluating factors influencing microplastic mobility in sediments through visualization and experiments
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Researchers used micro-CT imaging to visualize three-dimensional transport pathways of microplastics through gravel and sand sediments relevant to riverbank filtration, finding that smaller sediment pore sizes restrict microplastic mobility and that particle properties such as shape, size, and polymer density influence infiltration depth.
Microplastics (MP) is widely detected in rivers and riverbeds. Along major rivers in densely populated area, often riverbank filtration (RBF) is used as pretreatment in drinking water supply. RBF is highly efficient in pathogen and colloids removal; thus, it is expected to remove MP particles as well. But transport of MP in aquifers and especially during riverbank filtration is still a black box. The objective of this study is to determine the impact of sediment size, MP properties and the ratio between MP and sediment during the MP transport in riverbed and aquifer sediments. In this study, possible transport paths of MP in the gravel and sand sediment is revealed by analyzing micro compute tomography (Micro-CT). The three dimensions of MP transport paths in gravel sediment are visualized and pore throats are determined using Fuji ImageJ (v2.9). In previous laboratory column tests, several polymers in various shapes, sizes and density were examined for their transport in gravel and sand. The types included polyamide (PA), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyoxymethylene (POM), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), polystyrene (PS), and polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA). Visualization verified previous findings such as that MP is less mobile in sediments having smaller pore size and reach less infiltration depth (Fig. 1). The smaller pore paths hinder the transport of MP. This research contributes to the understanding of MP dynamics in sediment filtration, highlighting the need for careful consideration of sediment characteristics in managing MP pollution in water pre-treatment processes. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/553504/document
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Evaluating factors influencing microplastic mobility in sediments through visualization and experiments
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Researchers used micro-CT imaging to visualize three-dimensional transport pathways of microplastics through gravel and sand sediments relevant to riverbank filtration, finding that smaller sediment pore sizes restrict microplastic mobility and that particle properties such as shape, size, and polymer density influence infiltration depth.
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Researchers investigated the longitudinal and vertical transport of microplastics within sediments in rivers and transitional water environments, developing models to quantify how sediment presence affects microplastic mobility and their transport toward coastal areas.
Transport and Retention of Microplastics in Gravelly Riverbed Sediments: A Polymer-Specific Column-Scale Study
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Lab experiments passed water through columns of gravel sediment to see how four types of plastic fragments moved through it. Most plastic particles stayed in the top 10 to 15 cm of gravel, with denser plastics like PET and PVC moving less deep than lighter polystyrene, suggesting particle density affects how far microplastics travel into riverbeds.
Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments
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Scientists used laboratory river-bed simulations to study how microplastics move from surface water down into streambed sediments. Smaller particles (1 micrometer) penetrated deeper into the sediment than larger ones, and higher water flow pushed more particles downward. This research helps explain how microplastics accumulate in river beds, which serve as both drinking water sources and habitats for aquatic organisms.
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