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Prediction of microplastic transport in oil-contaminated waters
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Researchers modeled microplastic transport in oil-contaminated marine waters, examining how oil-spill treating agents alter MP behavior and distribution. Oil additives changed the density and aggregation of MPs, affecting their transport from surface waters to deeper layers and increasing exposure risks for deep-sea organisms.
Microplastics (MPs) are pervasive in marine environments and pose potential risks to marine ecosystems. MPs can transport from the surface to the deep layers, raising concerns about their impact on vulnerable deep-sea species. Scientists believe MPs are present in oceans around the world. Recent studies on the application of oil spill treating agents at sea have shown that MPs can interact with oil in the presence of chemical dispersants to form MP-oil-dispersant agglomerates (MODAs). To advance our knowledge on the behavior and transport of MPs, this study investigated the distribution of MPs under different salinities and mineral concentrations in oil-contaminated marine environments. Results indicated that the presence of oil and chemical dispersants promoted the downward transport of MPs. Minerals significantly enhanced the sinking of larger MPs through adsorption. A causal analysis identified specific surface area (SSA) as the dominant factor influencing MP transport in oil-contaminated marine environments. Model predictions further revealed that sinking velocity increased with agglomerate size and density. Our findings provide important experimental data to support the development of predictive MP transport models that are needed for environmental risk assessments and the selection of the most appropriate oil spill response measures in oil-contaminated waters.
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Transport of Microplastic and Dispersed Oil Co-contaminants in the Marine Environment
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Researchers investigated the transport behavior of microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates in simulated ocean systems, finding that over 90% of heavy oil agglomerates stayed at the surface while light oil agglomerates sank, influenced by salinity and mineral concentrations.
Effects of Microplastic Size on Oil Dispersion in Oceans
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Researchers used computational simulations to examine how microplastic particle size influences the dispersion of oil in ocean water, finding that microplastics alter the behavior of chemical dispersants used in oil spill response. This interaction reveals that microplastic-contaminated waters may complicate standard oil spill remediation efforts, and that combined plastic and petroleum pollution creates compounding toxicity risks for marine organisms.
Impact of mixing energy and dispersant dosage on oil dispersion and sedimentation with microplastics in the marine environment
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Laboratory experiments simulated how crude oil spilled at sea behaves differently when microplastics are present, testing the effects of wave energy and chemical dispersant on oil dispersion and sedimentation. Higher wave energy and dispersant doses both increased oil dispersion, but microplastics caused oil droplets to aggregate into heavier particles that sank faster, meaning more oil-microplastic agglomerates reached the seafloor than would otherwise. This interaction could complicate oil spill response and extend ecological damage to deep-sea environments.
Interactions between microplastics and oil dispersion in the marine environment
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Researchers investigated interactions between microplastics and crude oil in marine environments, finding that microplastics adsorb oil components and can reduce the effectiveness of chemical dispersants used in oil spill response by competing for surfactant molecules and altering oil droplet behavior.
Microplastic-oil-dispersant agglomerates in the marine environment: Formation mechanism and impact on oil dispersion
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Researchers investigated how microplastics form agglomerates with spilled oil and dispersants in marine environments, identifying two distinct agglomerate types and showing that these formations can significantly affect oil dispersion effectiveness during spill responses.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.