We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Transport and accumulation of plastic particles on the varying sediment bed cover: Open-channel flow experiment
Summary
Researchers conducted open-channel flow experiments to study how various plastic particles of differing shape, size, density, and flexibility are transported and retained across sediment beds of varying grain size, finding that friction-driven retention zones consistently form at boundaries between finer and coarser sediments, offering a mechanism to explain the patchy distribution of microplastics in seafloor sediments.
Contamination of sea bottom sediments by microplastics is widely confirmed, but the reasons for its patchiness remain poorly understood. Laboratory experiments are reported where combined sets of various plastic particles, different by shape, size, density, and flexibility, were transported by the step-wise increasing open-channel flow over the bottom covered with natural sediment of increasing grain size. For every particular flow velocity, observations revealed the recurrent formation of relatively narrow retention areas, where plastic particles lingered for some time in their motion. These areas follow the line of change of the sediment type from finer to coarser grains. It is shown that contact friction drives the retention of a particle at finer sediments, while particle/sediment-grain interaction becomes of importance when particles and sediment grains are of similar sizes. The presence of this effect can be expected for a relatively wide range of natural conditions.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Transport and sedimentation of microplastics by turbidity currents: Dependence on suspended sediment concentration and grain size
Researchers used laboratory experiments to study how turbidity currents, underwater flows of sediment-laden water, transport and deposit microplastics on the ocean floor. They found that higher sediment concentrations carried microplastics farther, and finer sediment grains enhanced transport distances compared to coarser ones. The findings suggest that both the properties of the sediment flow and the shape and density of microplastic particles play important roles in determining where plastics end up in marine sediments.
Microplastic trapping in sandy bedload: insights from flume experiments
Researchers conducted flume experiments to investigate the mechanisms controlling microplastic trapping in sandy bedload sediments, examining how particles of different sizes and densities become buried within ripple structures formed by unidirectional tractional flows. The study provided insights into riverine microplastic sedimentation dynamics relevant to understanding transient storage during land-to-ocean transport.
Microplastic trapping in sandy bedload: insights from flume experiments
Researchers conducted flume experiments using a 4-metre channel to investigate how microplastic particles become trapped within sandy bedload ripples formed by unidirectional water flows, examining interactions between microplastics and inorganic sediment particles under controlled depositional conditions. The findings provide mechanistic insights into how microplastics are temporarily stored in riverine sediments during their transfer from land to ocean.
Exploring the influence of sediment motion on microplastic deposition in streambeds
This study systematically explored how sediment motion affects microplastic deposition in streambeds made of fine sediments, finding that sediment transport dynamics play a critical role in controlling where microplastics accumulate. The results improve understanding of microplastic fate in riverine systems.
A transport mechanism for deep-sea microplastics: Hydroplaning of clay-laden sediment gravity flows
Researchers used laboratory flume experiments to show that clay-laden sediment gravity flows can transport microplastics to deep-sea environments via hydroplaning, a mechanism distinct from sand-laden flows and capable of carrying particles much further into the ocean interior.