Sediment Organic Carbon Dominates the Heteroaggregation of Suspended Sediment and Nanoplastics in Natural and Polluted Aquatic Environments

Sediment organic carbon dominates the heteroaggregation of suspended sediment and nanoplastics in natural and surfactant-polluted aquatic environments

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Researchers found that sediment organic carbon plays a dominant role in the heteroaggregation of nanoplastics with suspended sediment particles, with surfactant pollution altering aggregation dynamics and influencing the environmental transport and fate of nanoplastics in aquatic systems.

Antibiotic-mediated heteroaggregation and sedimentation of nanoplastics with minerals: Mechanisms and environmental implications in natural water

Natural Weathering Reshapes Nanoplastic Aggregation and Deposition Dynamics: Implications for Nanoplastic Removal during Riverbank Filtration

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Researchers examined how UV weathering and natural organic matter coatings alter nanoplastic aggregation and transport behavior through sand-based porous media relevant to riverbank filtration systems used for drinking water. The findings reveal that weathering shifts nanoplastic surface chemistry in ways that reduce removal efficiency, meaning environmentally aged nanoplastics may pass through natural filtration barriers and reach drinking water supplies.

A Review of Microplastics in Aquatic Sediments: Occurrence, Fate, Transport, and Ecological Impact

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Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in aquatic sediments — particularly the ocean floor — finding that sediments act as a long-term sink where plastics alter microbial communities and harm bottom-dwelling organisms, meaning the ecological damage of plastic pollution extends far beyond what is visible at the water surface.

Aggregation and Aggregate Strength of Microscale Plastic Particles in the Presence of Natural Organic Matter: Effects of Ionic Valence

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Calcium ions promote stronger aggregation of polyethylene microplastic particles in the presence of natural organic matter through divalent bridging, producing more cohesive aggregates than monovalent potassium ions. Understanding how microplastics aggregate under different water chemistry conditions is important for predicting their transport, sedimentation, and bioavailability in natural aquatic environments.