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Sediment trapping as a method for monitoring microplastic flux rates and deposition at aquatic environments
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This study evaluated sediment traps as a monitoring tool for measuring microplastic flux rates and deposition patterns in aquatic environments, finding they capture a representative cross-section of settling particles. Researchers found that trap design and deployment duration significantly affect collection efficiency and particle size distribution.
Microplastics are reported from wide range of aquatic environments with concentrations up to thousands of particles per kilogram of sediment. Due to a lack of temporal control, evaluation of the influx rate of microplastic pollution is not enabled. However, understanding the annual flux rate of microplastics to the aquatic environments is a crucial aspect for environmental monitoring and for risk assessment. A sediment trap method is widely applied in aquatic sedimentary studies in order to measure sedimentation rates and understand sedimentation processes. We have tested near-bottom sediment trap method in lacustrine and estuary environments, at central and coastal Finland, for measuring and quantifying the microplastic influx rate during one year. Near-bottom sediment traps with two collector tubes and known surface area, fixed one meter from the bottom, collect all particles that are about to accumulate on the basin floor of the water body. Controlled temporal interval of trap maintenance enables calculation and determination of local microplastic influx rate i.e. number of accumulating particles per time per surface area. The test results are very promising. Near-bottom sediment traps can be used for long term monitoring in order to gain a deeper understanding of the microplastic transport and sedimentation processes, confirm and compare the feasibility and efficiency of different environmental conservation methods, setting threshold values for microplastic influx, and supervising that the defined target conditions are met.
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Sediment trapping – An attempt to monitor temporal variation of microplastic flux rates in aquatic systems
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Researchers tested sediment trapping as a tool to monitor temporal variation in microplastic influx in an urban boreal lake, conducting a one-year monitoring program that revealed differences in microplastic flux rates between growing season and winter periods including a spring flood event.
Application of a microplastic trap to the determination of the factors controlling the lakebed deposition of microplastics
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Researchers deployed a microplastic trap in a lake to measure real-world lakebed deposition rates, finding that particle size, density, and seasonal hydrodynamics were key factors controlling microplastic settling, providing field-validated data to improve transport models.
Surface Water Monitoring with Sedimentation Boxes: Assessing the Sampling Performance and Its Effect on Microplastic Concentration
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This study tested whether passive "sedimentation box" samplers — devices that slow water flow to settle out suspended particles — can effectively capture microplastics from surface waters over time, rather than relying on infrequent spot sampling with nets or pumps. Results showed the boxes reliably retained a range of particle sizes and types, and their performance aligned with the physical behavior of other suspended particles in water. Passive samplers like these could help create more consistent, time-integrated microplastic monitoring that better captures the true variability of plastic pollution in rivers and lakes.
Flux rates reflect microplastic sources and their temporal and spatial deposition patterns in aquatic environments
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Researchers measured microplastic flux rates — the rate at which particles accumulate over time — rather than just static concentrations in sediments, arguing this provides a better picture of changing pollution levels. By tracking how quickly microplastics are depositing in different locations, scientists can identify sources, transport routes, and temporal trends more effectively. The study calls for wider adoption of flux-rate measurements to move from snapshots of pollution to understanding its dynamics.
Efficiency of five samplers to trap suspended particulate matter and microplastic particles of different sizes
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This study compared the efficiency of five different samplers for collecting suspended particulate matter and microplastics from rivers and lakes, evaluating which designs provide the most representative samples for quantitative chemical and microplastic analysis.
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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.