We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Mechanistic investigation of homo- and heteroaggregation of micro- and nanoparticles in aquatic systems
AI summary Read the abstract
This study investigated the aggregation behavior of micro- and nanoparticles including microplastics in aquatic systems, developing mechanistic models to understand how water chemistry and particle properties determine whether plastic particles clump together or remain dispersed — affecting their environmental fate and toxicity.
Engineered nanomaterials, massively produced for our benefits, constitute an important class of pollutants and that their fate and behaviour in aquatic systems are influenced by water chemistry as well as intrinsic nanoparticle properties. The aim of this work is to develop a mechanistic understanding of transformation processes of engineered nanomaterials in various aquatic systems. Two types of material such as metallic nanoparticles of cerium dioxide and plastic particles made of micro- and nanoplastic polystyrene latex beads were considered. The complexity of the environmental systems was reproduced by considering different water compounds, such as humic substances, polysaccharides and inorganic colloids and by using contrasting and changing water conditions including change of pH, type of electrolytes and ionic strength. Our findings demonstrated that engineered nanomaterial behaviour in aquatic systems is complex process and is highly dependent on environmental conditions and resulting electrostatic scenarios.
More Papers Like This
A review of microplastics aggregation in aquatic environment: Influence factors, analytical methods, and environmental implications
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics clump together in aquatic environments, a behavior called aggregation that affects where they end up and how available they are to organisms. Researchers evaluated the factors that influence aggregation, including water chemistry, particle size, and the presence of natural organic matter. The study identifies important gaps in field research and calls for standardized methods to better understand how aggregation shapes the environmental fate of microplastics.
Statistical Thermodynamic Description of Heteroaggregation between Anthropogenic Particulate Matter and Natural Particles in Aquatic Environments
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a thermodynamic model to describe how nanoparticles and microplastics aggregate with each other and with natural particles in aquatic environments. Understanding aggregation processes is critical for predicting how microplastics move through water systems and where they ultimately settle.
Investigating Particle Composition and Aquatic Chemistry Impacts on Microplastic Aggregation Behavior Through the Use of Nanopolymer-Nanoparticle Composites
AI summary Read the abstract
This study used metal-tagged nano-polymer particles to investigate how particle composition and aquatic chemistry (pH, ionic strength) affect microplastic aggregation and transport in water. Different minerals in the water column influenced whether microplastics stayed dispersed or clumped together. The findings improve predictions of microplastic behavior and fate in natural water environments.
Effect of the Surface Hydrophobicity–Morphology–Functionality of Nanoplastics on Their Homoaggregation in Seawater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that nanoplastic surface hydrophobicity, morphology, and functional chemistry strongly govern homoaggregation behavior in aquatic environments, with more hydrophobic and functionalized particles forming larger, faster-settling aggregates that alter their environmental fate and bioavailability.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Aggregation, Deposition, and Enhanced Contaminant Transport
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examined the aggregation, deposition, and transport of microplastics and nanoplastics in aquatic environments, synthesizing how particle properties and water chemistry govern their fate and mobility in rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.