We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of hydrodynamics on the cross-sectional distribution and transport of plastic in an urban coastal river.
AI summary Read the abstract
This study investigated how river flow dynamics and plastic particle properties affect where plastics end up in river cross-sections. Researchers found that turbulence, particle density, and size all influence whether plastics float at the surface, suspend in the water column, or sink to the riverbed. Understanding these transport mechanisms is essential for accurately modeling how plastics ultimately reach the ocean.
The mechanisms of plastic transport in rivers remain an important knowledge gap in global plastic pollution research and management. We investigated how river flows and plastics' properties affect transport with a five-point cross-sectional field study in the Hillsborough River in Tampa (Florida, USA) using a 500-µm Neuston net and an Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler. We conducted in-depth analysis of water velocity profiles as well as plastics' concentrations and properties, determining advective, vertical, and lateral transport fluxes. Under calm flow conditions, advective fluxes were two orders of magnitude higher than lateral and vertical fluxes. Under turbulent conditions, enhanced particle exchange in the cross-section resulted in a three to tenfold increase in lateral and vertical plastic fluxes. The impact of turbulence on plastic particles depended on properties such as size, shape, and composition. This study presents a unique assessment of flow conditions driving plastic pollution in an urban coastal river setting. PRACTITIONERS POINTS: Multipoint, cross-sectional sampling and onsite flow profile collection should be adopted as a common practice for plastic field data collection to reduce uncertainty. Varying flow conditions affect the drivers of plastic transport in rivers. Advective surface fluxes govern plastic transport under calm flow conditions, while turbulent flow conditions enhance cross-sectional mixing and particle exchange. Larger and more irregular-shaped plastics are more affected by turbulence.
More Papers Like This
Study of the influence of fluvial dynamics on the distribution and transport of microplastics.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how fluvial dynamics including flow velocity, turbulence, and river geomorphology influence the distribution and transport of microplastics in river systems. River hydrodynamics were found to be major determinants of where microplastics accumulate and how far they travel, with implications for predicting contamination patterns in river catchments.
Study of the influence of fluvial dynamics on the distribution and transport of microplastics.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how fluvial dynamics, including water flow, turbulence, and river morphology, influence microplastic distribution and transport in a river system. The study found that hydrological conditions strongly control where microplastics deposit and how they move through the watershed.
Microplastic dynamics within turbulence for improved modelling and monitoring strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
This study developed improved models for predicting microplastic distribution and transport within river systems, accounting for turbulence effects and the exchange between suspended load and bedload. The authors identified that existing sediment transport models fail to capture the behavior of low-density plastic particles in turbulent flow. More accurate models are needed to predict where microplastics accumulate in rivers and estimate their flux to the ocean.
Modelling forces on buoyant macro plastics and their cross-sectional distribution in rivers: Simplified modelling of buoyant macro plastics according to cornerstones in behavior and particle response times in a range of riverine environments to set-up efficient monitoring campaigns and help select locations for efficient plastic removal.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers modeled the forces acting on buoyant plastic debris in rivers to better predict how macroplastics are distributed across river cross-sections, which is important for designing efficient plastic monitoring and collection systems. Understanding plastic transport in rivers is key to tracking how land-based plastics reach the ocean.
On the vertical structure of non-buoyant plastics in turbulent transport
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how non-floating plastic debris moves through river-like flows and found that plastics settle in unique, complex patterns due to their irregular shapes. In low-turbulence conditions, interactions between the plastic particles and the riverbed enhanced mixing beyond what standard sediment transport models would predict. The study proposes a new equation for describing how plastics are distributed vertically in flowing water.
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.