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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Disentangling the retention preferences of estuarine suspended particulate matter for diverse microplastic types
ClearNavigating the difference of riverine microplastic movement footprint into the sea: Particle properties influence
Researchers mapped how different types of microplastic particles move from the Yangtze River into the sea based on their size, shape, and polymer type. They found that particle properties strongly influence transport patterns, with lighter and smaller particles traveling farther into the ocean while heavier ones settle near the estuary. The study provides a framework for predicting where different microplastics end up after leaving river systems.
Shape- and polymer-considered simulation to unravel the estuarine microplastics fate
Using a shape- and polymer-specific simulation model of the Yangtze River Estuary — the world's largest plastic contributor to the ocean — researchers estimated that approximately 9,766 kg of microplastics pass through the surface layer per month during peak input periods. The study also showed that resuspension of microplastics from intertidal zones significantly affects transport estimates, and introduced a new risk index that factors in particle shape, abundance, and polymer type to better identify estuarine hotspots where removal interventions could be most effective.
Modeling impacts of river hydrodynamics on fate and transport of microplastics in riverine environments
Researchers built a computer model to simulate how microplastics travel and transform in river systems, accounting for particle aggregation and breakage driven by water flow. They found that microplastics clump together significantly in the early stages after entering a river, which changes the size distribution of particles flowing downstream. The study suggests that river conditions play a major role in determining what size and form of microplastics eventually reach the ocean.
The fate of microplastics in estuary: A quantitative simulation approach
Researchers applied quantitative numerical simulation to model microplastic transport and concentration distribution in the Yangtze Estuary, one of the world's largest plastic export pathways. The model used a mass-number method to estimate spatial distribution and risk levels of microplastics in February and May, revealing seasonal variation in transport patterns.
Comprehensive review of the co-transport of microplastics and suspended sediments in aquatic environments: macroscopic transport and microscopic mechanisms
Researchers reviewed how microplastics and suspended sediments interact and travel together through rivers, lakes, and coastal waters, identifying water flow conditions, particle density, and plastic shape as key factors governing their joint migration and deposition. Understanding these co-transport dynamics is essential for predicting where microplastics accumulate and assessing their ecological risks.
Dispersal and transport of microplastic particles under different flow conditions in riverine ecosystem
Researchers developed a particle-tracking model combined with hydrodynamic simulation to study how microplastics travel through river systems under different water flow conditions. They found that flow speed, turbulence, and river channel features significantly influence where microplastics accumulate and how far they travel. The study provides a useful tool for predicting microplastic transport patterns and identifying pollution hotspots in river ecosystems.
Unveiling the Vertical Migration of Microplastics with Suspended Particulate Matter in the Estuarine Environment: Roles of Salinity, Particle Properties, and Hydrodynamics
Researchers studied how suspended particles like clay and sand affect the vertical movement of microplastics in estuarine environments with varying salinity levels. They found that fine clay particles were particularly effective at dragging buoyant microplastics downward through a process of attachment and aggregation. The study reveals that the interplay between sediment type, salinity, and water turbulence plays a major role in determining where microplastics end up in estuaries.
Small microplastic particles dominate Yangtze River particulate pollution
Researchers conducted annual monitoring of plastic particle fluxes in the Yangtze River estuary, finding that small microplastic particles dominate particulate pollution and that their distribution varies significantly by location and season, with important implications for estimating riverine plastic inputs to the sea.
Flocs as vectors for microplastics in the aquatic environment
Researchers combined analysis of over 6,000 measurements to show that small microplastics under 162 micrometers (about the width of two human hairs) are predominantly transported through waterways while clumped together in "flocs" — aggregates of particles and organic matter — rather than drifting freely. This insight is critical for predicting where microplastics will end up in rivers, lakes, and oceans.
Exploring the Sensitivity of Microplastic Accumulation Zones in Rivers Using High-Performance Particle Transport Modelling
Researchers applied high-performance particle transport modelling to explore the sensitivity of microplastic accumulation zones in rivers, identifying key hydrodynamic factors that govern where microplastics concentrate. The modelling approach provides a tool for predicting hotspot areas of microplastic deposition in fluvial environments.
Modeling microplastic dynamics in riverine systems: fate and transport analysis
Researchers developed a computer model to simulate how microplastics travel through river systems, accounting for how they enter from human activities and how they settle, resuspend, and deposit along riverbanks. The model was applied to the Tame River in the UK using four different scenarios based on plastic particle types like fibers, fragments, and pellets. The study provides a tool for predicting where microplastics accumulate in rivers, which could help target cleanup and monitoring efforts.
Microplastic Pathways: Investigating Vertical and Horizontal Movement from Riverine Environments to Oceans
Researchers investigated the vertical and horizontal movement of microplastics in riverine systems en route to the ocean, examining how physical MP characteristics and hydrodynamic conditions govern whether particles settle near riverbeds or float at the surface, and how both gravity-driven and flow-driven transport contribute to their ultimate fate.
Seasonal dynamics, tidal influences, and anthropogenic impacts on microplastic distribution in the Yangtze River estuary: A comprehensive characterization and comparative analysis
Researchers studied microplastic pollution in the Yangtze River estuary and found average concentrations of about 1 particle per cubic meter of surface water, mostly polystyrene, polypropylene, and polyethylene. Microplastic levels were nearly twice as high during flood season compared to dry season and decreased with distance from urban centers. These findings highlight how population density and seasonal water flow influence microplastic distribution in major waterways.
A Lagrangian Model for Microplastics Transport in Rivers
Researchers developed a Lagrangian computational model to simulate how microplastics are transported through river systems, accounting for particle buoyancy, turbulence, and settling behavior. The model provides a tool for predicting microplastic fate and accumulation in freshwater environments.
Quantifying the influence of size, shape, and density of microplastics on their transport modes: A modeling approach
Researchers developed a computer model that predicts how microplastics of different sizes, shapes, and densities move through ocean water. The model accurately simulates whether particles float on the surface, stay suspended in the water column, or settle to the bottom. Understanding how microplastics travel through marine environments is important for predicting where contamination accumulates and which seafood sources are most likely to be affected.
Plastic drift : Mapping the course of microplastic transport in turbulent riverine flows.
Researchers conducted laboratory experiments tracking the 3D trajectories of 24 negatively buoyant microplastic particles spanning a range of sizes, shapes, and densities in turbulent open channel flow, generating 720 trajectories to evaluate how well conventional sediment transport models apply to microplastics. Results revealed that the inherent variability in microplastic physical properties challenges direct application of sediment transport concepts to microplastic fate prediction in rivers.
Transport and retention of sinking microplastics in a well-mixed estuary
Researchers used numerical particle-tracking experiments to examine how sinking microplastics are retained in well-mixed estuaries under varying tidal and freshwater flow conditions. They found that over 90% of sinking particles were retained in the estuary, with retention rates highly sensitive to particle density and size. The study confirms that estuaries can act as significant accumulation zones for microplastics, trapping particles before they reach the open ocean.
Effect of Physical Characteristics and Hydrodynamic Conditions on Transport and Deposition of Microplastics in Riverine Ecosystem
This review examined how microplastic physical characteristics like density, shape, and size interact with hydrodynamic conditions to govern their transport and deposition patterns in riverine ecosystems, highlighting key processes that determine where plastics accumulate.
Modeling the settling and resuspension of microplastics in rivers: Effect of particle properties and flow conditions
Researchers developed a mathematical model to simulate how microplastics of different shapes settle and resuspend in rivers, moving beyond the common assumption that all particles are spherical. They found that turbulence has a complex effect, sometimes keeping particles suspended longer and sometimes accelerating their settling, depending on flow conditions. The model reveals that particle shape significantly influences where microplastics end up in river systems.
The curious case of microplastic settling velocity within suspended sediment
Researchers investigated the settling velocity of microplastics within suspended sediment in freshwater environments, aiming to better characterize the transport dynamics of these persistent pollutants through the water column. Their analysis highlighted that microplastic settling behavior is complex and context-dependent, complicating predictions of temporal and spatial distribution in rivers.
Fate of nano- and microplastic in freshwater systems: A modeling study
Researchers modeled the transport and fate of plastic particles ranging from 100 nm to 10 mm in a river system, finding that mid-sized particles around 5 microns are retained least efficiently (only 18–25%), while both smaller nanoplastics and larger microplastics preferentially settle — with particle size having a far greater influence on river retention than polymer density or biofilm formation.
The role of biofilm and hydrodynamics on the fate of microplastic particles in rivers: an experimental study
Researchers conducted flume and field experiments to examine how biofilm formation and hydrodynamic conditions govern the fate of microplastic particles in rivers, investigating why some MP-polluted rivers crossing industrialized areas show no significant upstream-to-downstream concentration differences. The study identified biofilm-mediated density changes and turbulence as key factors controlling whether low-density MPs remain suspended or settle into sediments.
Modelling Microplastic Dynamics in Estuaries: A Comprehensive Review, Challenges and Recommendations
This comprehensive review examines how process-based computer models have been used to simulate microplastic transport and fate in estuaries — the complex, tidal zones where rivers meet the sea. It evaluates different modeling approaches for capturing hydrodynamics, particle behavior, and interactions with sediment, identifying key gaps and inconsistencies in how microplastic properties are represented. Better estuarine models are needed to predict where plastics accumulate, how long they persist, and what risks they pose to coastal ecosystems and the communities that depend on them.
Unveiling microplastic distribution and interactions in the benthic layer of the Yangtze River Estuary and East China Sea
Researchers mapped microplastic distribution in the benthic layer of the Yangtze River Estuary and East China Sea, finding that microplastic concentrations in bottom water were 8 to 175 times higher than in surface water. The study reveals that polyester fibers were the dominant type, and that complex interactions between bottom water and sediment play a key role in how microplastics accumulate in these coastal environments.