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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Three-Dimensional Settling Dynamics of Environmental Microplastics
ClearMicroplastic 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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Adding depth to microplastics for particle characterization and assessing settling behavior
This study developed methods to characterize microplastics in three dimensions rather than the conventional two-dimensional approach, obtaining volume and shape data that improves predictions of how particles settle and transport in water systems. Three-dimensional characterization significantly improved settling rate predictions compared to 2D image-based estimates.
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.
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 behaviour of irregular-shaped polystyrene microplastics
Researchers studied the settling behavior of irregular-shaped polystyrene microplastics in water, finding that shape significantly affects how fast particles sink. Understanding settling behavior is important for predicting how microplastics distribute vertically in rivers and ocean water columns.
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.
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.
Study of the influence of fluvial dynamics on the distribution and transport of microplastics.
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.
Settling behaviors of microplastic disks in water
Researchers investigated the settling behavior of microplastic disk particles in water, finding that lighter disks sink in straight vertical paths while denser disks follow oscillating zigzag trajectories — differences that significantly influence microplastic transport and distribution in aquatic environments.
On the settling of aligned spherical particles in various quiescent media
Researchers studied how vertically aligned spherical particles settle through calm liquids, finding that particle interactions and release frequency affect settling patterns. Such findings inform models of how microplastic particles sink and distribute in aquatic environments.
Study of the influence of fluvial dynamics on the distribution and transport of microplastics.
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.
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.
Settling velocity of submillimeter microplastic fibers in still water
The settling velocity of 519 submillimeter microplastic fibers (300-600 micrometers long) was measured in still water, finding that settling rates vary considerably by fiber length and orientation, informing models of microplastic fiber transport and deposition in aquatic systems.
Trapped microplastics within vertical redeposited sediment: Experimental study simulating lake and channeled river systems during resuspension events
Researchers simulated sediment resuspension events to study how microplastics of different densities, sizes, and shapes become trapped within redeposited sediment layers, finding that particle properties strongly influence vertical redistribution patterns in lake and river systems.
Adding depth to microplastics for particle characterization and assessing settling behavior
Researchers developed a method for 3D characterization of microplastic particles to obtain volume and shape data beyond conventional 2D image analysis, improving accuracy in predicting settling behavior and estimating particle mass. Three-dimensional characterization was shown to substantially improve estimates of microplastic transport and sedimentation in water systems.
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.
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.
Longitudinal and Vertical Transport of Microplastic Within Sediment in Rivers and Transitional Water Environments
Researchers investigated the longitudinal and vertical transport of microplastics within sediments in rivers and transitional water environments, developing models to quantify how sediment presence affects microplastic mobility and their transport toward coastal areas.
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.
Modeling Microplastic Transport in the Marine Environment: Testing Empirical Models of Particle Terminal Sinking Velocity for Irregularly Shaped Particles
Researchers tested multiple drag models for predicting the terminal settling velocity of irregularly shaped microplastic particles in seawater, identifying three high-precision models and demonstrating that settling velocity is largely stable across ocean depths and independent of initial particle velocity, improving the accuracy of marine microplastic transport simulations.