We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Bedforms effect on microplastics deposits erosion
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted flume experiments to study how a sand bedform influences the erosion of compact polyamide microplastic deposits, finding that a sudden increase in flow rate forced erosion of microplastics accumulated at the lee side of a dune, shedding light on water-bed interface dynamics relevant to river ecology.
Transport processes involving both microplastics (MPs) and natural sediments are being marginally studied, for the high complexity of the system and the many factors requiring attention. Still, it is of high importance to understand the interactions between natural sediments and MPs transport, especially at the water-bed interface, a critical area for rivers’ ecology and biodiversity. To bridge this gap, we carried out flume (15-m long, 1.0-m wide and with 0.27 m water depth) experiments to study the interactions of a small bedform and a deposit of compact MPs. The compact-shaped MPs, consisting of Polyamide 6 particles with equivalent sphere diameter around 2.9 mm, were released at a low flow rate (around 20 l/s corresponding to a mean velocity of 0.1 m/s), for which deposit formed at the lee side of a 2-cm high and approximately 0.7-m long sand dune. A sudden increase of flow rate was then applied (up to 60 l/s corresponding to a mean velocity of 0.3 m/s), forcing erosion of the MPs. Measurements included velocity profiles and turbulent measurements via Acoustic Doppler instrumentation, videos and underwater photos of the small bedform. From Doppler measurements the mean flow characteristics were derived, as well as fluctuating terms of the velocity components up to 50Hz. Using Structure from Motion, a 3D model of the bedform and the MPs deposit was constructed. The erosional behaviour of deposited MPs was derived by estimating the total volume mobilised from the deposit by difference (prior and post erosion) via DEM. The MPs’ removal efficiency was then estimated, in three cases of MPs’ deposit initial volumes.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic deposition in streams under moving bedforms
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted flume experiments to examine microplastic deposition in sandy streambeds under moving bedform conditions, finding that bedform migration and particle size both control whether microplastics are buried or remain in suspension, with implications for estimating MP residence times in river systems.
The effects of stream water velocity, streambed celerity, and particle properties on microplastic deposition in streams
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted laboratory flume experiments to examine how stream water velocity, bedform movement, and microplastic particle properties (material type PET/PP/PA and fiber length 25-200 µm) influence the deposition dynamics of microplastics in sandy streambeds, finding that bedform movement and particle characteristics significantly affected deposition rates and sediment distribution patterns.
Sand bed river dynamics controlling microplastic flux
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers used controlled flume experiments to show that sand bed rivers can retain up to 40% of their microplastic load within the sediment, making them significant sinks for plastic pollution. They found that bedform dynamics, particularly the speed at which sand dunes move, can predict microplastic flux through the system. The study also revealed that microplastic shape plays a more important role than previously recognized in determining whether particles are trapped or transported downstream.
Modeling microplastic deposition in sandy streams with moving bedforms
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a coupled model combining improved mechanistic colloid attachment predictions with a bedform transport model to quantify microplastic deposition in sandy streams with moving dune bedforms, running numerical simulations to assess how streambed characteristics, flow conditions, and particle properties interact to control microplastic retention. The model addressed the poor predictive power of classical colloid filtration theory for microplastics by incorporating bedform dynamics into deposition calculations.
Controls on microplastic flux during sand bed evolution
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted flume experiments to study how microplastic particles are stored in and released from sand bed sediments as bedforms migrate in a river. The flux of microplastics was controlled by particle density and size relative to the sand grains, with lighter plastics more readily mobilized. These experiments provide the first detailed quantification of how bedform migration controls microplastic storage and transport in sand-bed rivers.
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.