Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Turbulence-sediment synergy controls buoyant microplastic settling in the three gorges reservoir

Laboratory experiments showed that turbulence and sediment concentration interact synergistically to control the settling and resuspension of buoyant microplastics in water. Understanding these coupled dynamics is essential for modeling microplastic transport and deposition in rivers and coastal zones.

2025 Environmental Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental study on parameterizing microplastic-sediment aggregation

Researchers conducted laboratory flocculation experiments to parameterize microplastic-sediment aggregation, testing fibers, fragments, and spheres of varying sizes and densities to characterize how microplastics and sediment form flocs with enhanced settling velocity, with the goal of improving numerical transport models of microplastic fate in rivers and estuaries.

2025
Article Tier 2

Influence of catastrophic flood on microplastics organization in surface water of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Microplastic distribution in the Three Gorges Reservoir was analyzed before and after a catastrophic 2020 flood, finding that the flood altered microplastic organization, stability, and polymer composition throughout the reservoir, with implications for microplastic transport to the global ocean.

2021 Water Research 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of biophysical flocculation on microplastics and sediment interactions in a microtidal estuary

Field surveys and lab experiments in a microtidal estuary found that microplastics flocculate with negatively charged clastic sediment through biophysical processes, influencing how microplastics are transported, aggregated, and deposited in estuarine environments.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Rapid flocculation and settling of positively buoyant microplastic and fine-grained sediment in natural seawater

Laboratory experiments showed that positively buoyant microplastics rapidly flocculated with fine-grained sediment in natural seawater, causing particles that would otherwise float to sink quickly. The finding has important implications for predicting microplastic fate in estuaries, where plastic-sediment aggregates may settle to the seafloor rather than dispersing.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 49 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

How do microplastics interact with other particles in aquatic environments?

This study investigates how microplastics interact with other particles in aquatic environments, examining the physical and chemical mechanisms governing aggregation, adsorption, and co-transport of microplastics with suspended particles. The research is hosted on the Experiment platform for open scientific discovery funding and sharing.

2024
Article Tier 2

Flocculation and its impact on microplastic transport mechanisms in rivers

Researchers used rotating wheel laboratory experiments to investigate microplastic-sediment flocculation mechanisms in rivers, finding that fine cohesive sediments adhere to MP particles to form aggregates that modify transport behaviour and enhance deposition, contributing to MP accumulation in riverine sedimentary deposits.

2025
Article Tier 2

Heteroaggregation of PS microplastic with ferrihydrite leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column

Researchers investigated heteroaggregation between polystyrene microplastics and ferrihydrite iron mineral particles, finding that this aggregation process leads to rapid removal of microplastic particles from the water column, with implications for understanding microplastic fate and transport in natural water systems.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and Characteristics of Microplastic Pollution in Xiangxi Bay of Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Researchers surveyed Xiangxi Bay in the Three Gorges Reservoir and characterized microplastic occurrence and distribution, finding contamination throughout the bay with patterns influenced by local water circulation and sediment dynamics.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 550 citations
Article Tier 2

Preferential deposition of buoyant small microplastics in surface sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China: Insights from biomineralization

This study examined the distribution of buoyant small microplastics in surface sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, finding preferential deposition patterns at the sediment-water interface. The research revealed that reservoir hydrodynamics and sediment characteristics drive accumulation of buoyant microplastics in specific zones.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between nano/micro plastics and suspended sediment in water: Implications on aggregation and settling

Interactions between nanoplastics and suspended sediment were studied in NaCl solutions, finding that large sediment particles significantly enhanced settling of nanoplastics through heteroaggregation, with the effect increasing at higher ionic strength. The study reveals how sediment-nanoplastic aggregation drives vertical transport and burial of nanoplastics in aquatic environments.

2019 Water Research 362 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in surface waters and sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir, China

Researchers sampled surface waters and sediments of the Three Gorges Reservoir in China and found microplastic contamination throughout, with concentrations influenced by water flow dynamics and proximity to human settlements.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 896 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Aggregation Behavior of Particulate Plastics and Its Implications

This chapter reviews how microplastics aggregate with each other and with natural particles like sediment and algae in water, affecting their transport, fate, and biological availability. Heteroaggregation with natural colloids is more common than microplastic-to-microplastic clumping, which has important implications for how microplastics move through aquatic environments.

2020
Article Tier 2

Flocculation of PVC Microplastic and Fine-Grained Cohesive Sediment at Environmentally Realistic Concentrations

Laboratory flocculation experiments showed that PVC microplastics form aggregates with fine cohesive sediment at environmentally realistic concentrations, with aggregate size and settling velocity influenced by salinity and mixing energy, affecting microplastic transport in estuarine environments.

2021 Biological Bulletin 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Migration behaviors of microplastics in sediment-bearing turbulence: Aggregation, settlement, and resuspension

This study explored how turbulent shear flow affects microplastic aggregation with suspended sediment and the resulting vertical migration behavior. Smaller microplastics aggregated more readily with sediment particles, dramatically increasing their settlement rate and potentially causing secondary pollution when bottom sediments are resuspended by turbulence.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Both nanoplastic and iron mineral types determine their heteroaggregation: Aggregation kinetics and interface process

Researchers measured how four types of nanoplastics aggregate with iron minerals and found that surface chemistry drives the outcome — with PMMA forming the strongest heteroaggregates and carboxyl-modified particles the weakest — and that electron transfer from nanoplastics to hematite partially reduces iron, with implications for aquatic iron cycling.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Heteroaggregation of nanoplastic particles in the presence of inorganic colloids and natural organic matter

Nanoplastics were found to heteroaggregate extensively with inorganic colloids and natural organic matter in both freshwater and marine conditions, altering their size, surface charge, and settling behavior compared to pristine particles. The study demonstrates that nanoplastic behavior in natural waters is dominated by interactions with other environmental constituents rather than the intrinsic properties of the plastic alone.

2018 Environmental Science Nano 227 citations
Article Tier 2

Sediment organic carbon dominates the heteroaggregation of suspended sediment and nanoplastics in natural and surfactant-polluted aquatic environments

Researchers found that sediment organic carbon plays a dominant role in the heteroaggregation of nanoplastics with suspended sediment particles, with surfactant pollution altering aggregation dynamics and influencing the environmental transport and fate of nanoplastics in aquatic systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of typical clay minerals on aggregation and settling of pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics

Researchers investigated how common clay minerals affect the aggregation and settling behavior of pristine and aged polyethylene microplastics in water. They found that high salt concentrations promoted the settling of microplastics when clay minerals were present, and that electrostatic repulsion was the dominant force governing interactions between plastics and clay particles. The findings provide new insights into how microplastics are transported and deposited in natural water systems.

2022 Environmental Pollution 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Aggregation behavior of polyethylene microplastics in the nearshore environment: The role of particle size, environmental condition and turbulent flow

Researchers investigated how particle size, salinity, dissolved organic matter, and turbulent flow affect the aggregation behavior of polyethylene microplastics in nearshore water, finding that all factors influenced aggregation rates and aggregate structure. Understanding microplastic aggregation in estuarine environments is essential for predicting their sedimentation and biological uptake.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Heterogeneous aggregation of microplastics and mineral particles in aquatic environments: Effects of surface functional groups, pH, and electrolytes

Researchers studied how microplastics clump together with soil and rock minerals in water, finding that positively charged minerals bound to plastic particles nearly three times more effectively than clay minerals, and that low pH and calcium ions dramatically accelerated aggregation. Understanding these dynamics helps predict where microplastics will settle or stay suspended in rivers, lakes, and aquifers.

2025 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of coagulation characteristics on the aggregation of microplastics in upper-ocean turbulence

This study investigated how coagulation conditions affect microplastic aggregation in water treatment, finding that coagulant type and dose significantly influence floc formation with plastic particles and ultimately removal efficiency.

2024 Advances in Water Resources 4 citations