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Microplastics on the move
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This review examines how the physical properties of microplastics — including density, size, morphology, and durability — drive their dispersal across aquatic and terrestrial environments via wind currents, water flows, and biological vectors.
The mechanical properties of plastic polymers significantly influence their potential for dispersal in the environment. The density, size, morphology and durability of microplastics enable them to move within aquatic and terrestrial environments, often being transported for significant distances by the action of air currents, water flows and the action of organisms at all scales. Despite substantial recent research, there are still many unanswered questions regarding the movement of microplastics, particularly in environments that have only recently drawn the interest of researchers, and these varied and diverse influences result in patterns of microplastic transport that are somewhat predictable at large scales and extremely complex at the fine scale.
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This review explores how microplastics move through different aquatic environments, from rivers and lakes to estuaries and oceans, focusing on the physical properties that drive their transport. Researchers found that factors like particle density, size, shape, and biofouling all influence where microplastics accumulate and how far they travel. Understanding these migration dynamics is essential for predicting contamination patterns and designing effective cleanup strategies.
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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.