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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to AQuantitative Relationshipbetween Settling and Wettabilityfor Weathered Microplastics in Aquatic Systems
ClearAQuantitative Relationshipbetween Settling and Wettabilityfor Weathered Microplastics in Aquatic Systems
Researchers quantified the relationship between surface wettability and settling velocity for weathered microplastics in aquatic systems, demonstrating that wettability-driven changes at the particle-water interface alter drag forces and thus residence time and distribution in the water column.
A Quantitative Relationship between Settling and Wettability for Weathered Microplastics in Aquatic Systems
This study examined how the wettability — essentially how water-friendly the surface is — of weathered microplastics affects how fast they sink in water. Researchers found that more wettable plastic particles settle faster, and developed a physics-based drag model incorporating this surface property to improve predictions of microplastic movement through water bodies. More accurate models of microplastic settling are essential for predicting where particles accumulate in rivers, lakes, and oceans, and for assessing exposure risks to aquatic life and humans.
Biofilm Formation Influences the Wettability and Settling of Microplastics
This study found that biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces does not necessarily increase particle mass density enough to cause sinking, contradicting a common assumption. Instead, changes in particle wettability caused by biofilm were identified as a critical mechanism controlling microplastic vertical transport in the ocean.
An experimental study on microplastic settling velocities in different water environments: Which factors shape the settling process?
Researchers experimentally investigated how biofilm formation and weathering processes affect the settling velocities of microplastics across different water matrices, identifying the key physical and biological factors shaping how particles sink in aquatic environments.
Settling and rising velocities of environmentally weathered micro- and macroplastic particles
Researchers measured settling and rising velocities of environmentally weathered micro- and macroplastic particles collected from rivers, finding that existing predictive formulas developed for virgin pellets, fragments, and foams transferred reasonably well to weathered particles but were less accurate for films and larger macroplastics.
Effects of size and surface charge on the sedimentation of nanoplastics in freshwater
Researchers investigated how size and surface charge of polystyrene nanoplastics affect their sedimentation behavior in freshwater, finding that both properties significantly influence aggregation dynamics and settling rates, with implications for predicting nanoplastic fate in aquatic environments.
Sedimentation behavior of aggregated microplastics: Influence of particle size and water constituents in environmental waters
Laboratory experiments investigated how aggregation of microplastics with sediments and organic matter affects their sinking rates in water, finding that aggregate composition strongly influences settling velocity. These findings improve models predicting whether microplastics sink to the seafloor or remain suspended in the water column.
Coupled CFD-DEM modelling to assess settlement velocity and drag coefficient of microplastics
Researchers used computational fluid dynamics coupled with particle simulations to model how the size, shape, and density of microplastics affect their settling velocity and drag in water. Accurate physical models of microplastic behavior are essential for predicting where particles accumulate in rivers, lakes, and the ocean.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.
A new model for the terminal settling velocity of microplastics
A new empirical model for the terminal settling velocity of microplastics was developed and validated using 1,343 experimental measurements covering a range of particle shapes and materials. The model improves predictions of microplastic sedimentation rates, which are critical for understanding how plastic particles are transported and deposited in water bodies.
Effects of Shape and Size on Microplastic Atmospheric Settling Velocity
Researchers measured atmospheric settling and horizontal drift velocities of various microplastic shapes and sizes in controlled settling chambers, providing empirical data needed to improve atmospheric transport models that explain how microplastics reach remote environments.
Sinking rates of microplastics and potential implications of their alteration by physical, biological, and chemical factors
Researchers conducted sinking experiments with diverse microplastic particles and found that sinking velocity depends not only on density and size but also on particle shape, and that biofouling and weathering can substantially alter sinking rates with implications for how microplastics distribute through the water column.
Transport dynamics of microplastics from land to sea: the role of particle properties and stream morphology.
Researchers measured how particle properties including size, density, and polymer type interact with stream morphology to determine microplastic transport distances in 15 streams. Both plastic characteristics and stream structure independently influenced how far microplastics travel before settling, with implications for estimating fluxes to the ocean.
Quantifying the impact of biofouling on microplastic transport: a modeling study
Researchers developed a modeling study to quantify how biofouling -- the attachment of microorganisms to microplastic surfaces -- affects microplastic transport in river systems by altering particle size, shape, density, and settling velocity, using quantified data to simulate transport dynamics.
Perspective into bio-fouled microplastic behaviour, transportation and characterization in water bodies
This review examines how biofouling alters the physicochemical properties of microplastics — including density, surface charge, hydrophobicity, and roughness — and how the resulting 'plastisphere' biofilm community reshapes microplastic transport dynamics, vertical flux, and long-term fate in aquatic systems.
Integrated effects of polymer type, size and shape on the sinking dynamics of biofouled microplastics
Researchers investigated how polymer type, size, and shape interact with biofouling to influence microplastic sinking dynamics, finding that biofilm growth altered buoyancy and settling rates in ways that depend on the physical characteristics of each particle.
Empirical Shape-Based Estimation of Settling Microplastic Particles Drag Coefficient
This study experimentally measured the settling behavior of flat square microplastic particles in water, finding that shape significantly affects sinking speed and drag compared to spherical particles. Understanding how microplastic shapes influence settling is essential for modeling where plastics accumulate in rivers and ocean sediments.
Improved Settling Velocity for Microplastic Fibers: A New Shape-Dependent Drag Model
A new shape-dependent drag model was developed to improve the accuracy of settling velocity predictions for microplastic fibers, addressing a major limitation of existing drag models that significantly underpredict fiber settling in aquatic environments.
Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Aquatic Environments: Aggregation, Deposition, and Enhanced Contaminant Transport
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.
Settling velocity of irregularly shaped microplastics under steady and dynamic flow conditions
The settling velocities of irregularly shaped microplastics were measured under both still water and dynamic flow conditions, finding that shape strongly affected settling speed and that turbulence caused non-spherical particles to orient and settle differently than spheres, with implications for predicting microplastic vertical transport in rivers and coastal waters.
Settling Velocity of Microplastics Exposed to Wave Action
Researchers investigated how wave action affects the settling velocity of microplastic debris, finding that hydrodynamic forces from waves alter the transport and deposition behavior of microplastics in marine environments.
Settling Velocities of Small Microplastic Fragments and Fibers
Researchers precisely measured the settling speeds of over 4,000 small microplastic particles in water and found that existing prediction models designed for larger microplastics do not work well for these tiny fragments and fibers. The settling speed depends on each particle's size, density, and shape, with the smallest particles sinking extremely slowly. Understanding how quickly microplastics settle in water is important because it determines how far they travel and how long they remain available to be consumed by aquatic organisms that humans may eventually eat.
Important Role of Concave Surfaces in Deposition of Colloids under Favorable Conditions as Revealed by Microscale Visualization
Researchers found that concave surface features on sand, glass beads, and soil particles play a critical role in microplastic colloid deposition, with attachment efficiency increasing with flow velocity below a threshold value due to enhanced delivery to sheltered surface pockets.
Three-Dimensional Settling Dynamics of Environmental Microplastics
Researchers measured the three-dimensional settling dynamics of environmental microplastic particles in water, including lateral drift, settling paths, and horizontal velocities—dimensions poorly understood beyond simple vertical settling rates. The findings are essential for developing accurate models of how MPs distribute across river channels and water columns.