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The effects of sediment properties on the aeolian abrasion and surface characteristics of microplastics
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Laboratory experiments quantified how sediment properties influence the rate at which wind abrades and fragments exposed microplastics, generating smaller particles. The results improve understanding of aeolian (wind-driven) microplastic fragmentation as a source of airborne micro- and nanoplastics in arid environments.
Microplastics (less than 5 mm diameter) are significant environmental contaminants whose small sizes and low densities facilitate transport by wind. Transport by wind erosion alongside soils or sediments results in mechanical abrasion of the plastic surfaces which can alter their physical and chemical properties. This paper uses laboratory simulations to determine the effects of up to 216 h of aeolian abrasion on polyethylene microplastics by angular, sub-rounded and rounded mineral sediments. During the abrasion process the mineral particles break down producing small fragments which adhere to the microplastic surfaces altering their surface roughness and chemistry. With increasing duration of abrasion the microplastic surface becomes coated with mineral fragments changing the dominant surface element from carbon to oxygen and silicon reflecting the composition of the erodents. The coating develops more rapidly when microplastics are abraded with angular sediments as these produce a lot of small fragments within the first 1-2 h. However, after more than 200 h of abrasion all the erodents had similar effects. A conceptual model of microplastic surface change is presented in which the plastic cracks and fractures, then flattens along with increasing density of sediment fragment cover. Surface changes may affect the ability of the plastics to transport airborne contaminants.This article is part of the Theo Murphy meeting issue 'Sedimentology of plastics: state of the art and future directions'.
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Macroplastic surface characteristics change during wind abrasion
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Laboratory wind tunnel experiments showed that wind-driven abrasion of macroplastics on sandy surfaces produces distinct surface features and generates secondary microplastic particles, demonstrating that wind erosion is a meaningful pathway for plastic fragmentation in arid and coastal environments.
The effects of sediment properties on the aeolian abrasion and surface characteristics of microplastics
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This study used laboratory wind tunnel experiments to examine how microplastics are physically abraded when transported by wind alongside sand and soil particles, testing angular, sub-rounded, and rounded sediment grains over extended periods. The abrasion altered the surface chemistry and texture of the plastic particles in ways that could affect how they interact with pollutants and organisms in the environment. The work reveals that wind transport does not merely move microplastics — it transforms them, potentially changing their environmental hazard profile.
Impact of erodent shape on microplastic breakdown during wind erosion
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Researchers simulated wind erosion abrasion using three sediment erodent shapes (rounded, sub-angular, angular) against three sizes of polyethylene spheres to quantify how erodent geometry drives the physical breakdown of microplastics into smaller particles, including nanoplastics, in aeolian transport environments.
Impact of erodent shape on microplastic breakdown during wind erosion
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Researchers designed abrasion simulation experiments using three different erodent shapes (rounded, sub-angular, and angular sediments) and three sizes of polyethylene spheres to investigate how erodent geometry influences the mechanical breakdown of microplastics during wind erosion, finding that erodent shape significantly affects fragmentation rate and the generation of secondary nanoplastics.
Wind erosion controls on microplastics from soils: linking soil surface properties with microplastic flux
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Researchers investigated wind erosion as a mechanism for redistributing microplastics from soil surfaces, finding that microplastic fibers are particularly enriched relative to other particles during wind erosion events. Airborne transport of microplastics via wind erosion from soils may be a significant redistribution pathway, especially in arid or agricultural landscapes with disturbed surfaces.
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