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Velocity Fields around Single and Interacting Particles Sinking in Mucus-rich Water
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This study used PIV measurements combined with shear and extensional rheology to characterize non-Newtonian flow effects of mucus-rich water including extended flow patterns, negative wake formation, and aggregation of solid spheres in test solutions. The methodology was designed to enable future analogue experiments modeling the sinking dynamics of microplastic pollutants and mineral grains in algal bloom-affected or wastewater treatment environments where elevated exopolymers create mucus-rich conditions.
Exopolymers dispersed in water create mucus-rich environments that can modify sedimentation dynamics when secreted in excess by microorganisms.Here we use PIV measurements combined with shear and extensional rheology to demonstrate non-Newtonian effects of mucus-rich water including extended flow, negative wake, and aggregation of solid spheres in test solutions.The methodology designed in this study allows the future development of analogue experiments to model the sinking dynamics of microplastic pollutants and mineral grains and organic aggregates in algal bloom-afflicted regions or wastewater treatment plants.
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Settling of microplastics in mucus-rich water column: The role of biologically modified rheology of seawater
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Laboratory experiments showed that naturally occurring exopolymers secreted by marine algae and bacteria convert seawater into a non-Newtonian fluid that slows the sinking of microplastic particles, altering how and where they accumulate in the ocean water column. Understanding these biologically driven settling dynamics is important for predicting microplastic distribution and exposure risk for marine organisms at different depths.
Viscoelastic and shear-thinning effects of aqueous exopolymer solution on disk and sphere settling
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Using a gel-like polymer to mimic natural aquatic conditions, researchers found that the gel's non-Newtonian properties significantly slow the settling speed of particles compared to plain water. This suggests microplastics in natural waters rich in organic matter may sink more slowly than lab studies in clean water would predict.
Effect of exopolymer gels on the viscoelasticity of mucus-rich saltwater and settling dynamics of particles
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Researchers investigated how exopolymer gels produced during algal blooms affect the rheological properties of mucus-rich saltwater and the settling dynamics of particles, using xanthan gum as a model exopolymer in sodium chloride solutions. They found that colloidal exopolymers created a stronger internal structure than particulate gels and increased drag coefficients on sinking particles up to sixfold, suggesting colloidal exopolymers retard particle settling in marine environments more effectively.
Effects of rheologically stratified seawater during algal bloom on sinking dynamics of microplastics
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This study investigated how algal blooms affect the sinking behavior of microplastics in seawater by examining the role of exopolymers secreted by microorganisms during bloom events, which make the water more viscous and gel-like. In bloom-affected, rheologically modified seawater, microplastics sank differently than in normal conditions, with some particles being retarded and others accelerated depending on their properties. Understanding these dynamics is important because algal blooms are becoming more frequent globally, and how microplastics sink determines how long they remain in the water column where marine life is exposed to them.
Effects of biologically modified seawater on settling behaviour of microplastics
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Researchers found that during algal blooms, exopolymers secreted by microorganisms significantly increased seawater viscosity and changed how microplastic particles sank through the water column. This finding means that the sinking behavior of microplastics in real ocean conditions — especially during bloom events — is far more complex than laboratory tests with clean seawater suggest.
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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.