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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Dynamics of plastic debris and its density change between river compartments in the Tuul River system, Mongolia
ClearDynamics of plastic debris and its density change between river compartments in the Tuul River system, Mongolia
This study tracked the dynamics of plastic debris density changes as material moves between river compartments — from riverbanks to surface water to riverbed — finding that weathering progressively increases apparent density and causes particles to sink. Density change is a key driver of plastic fate in river systems.
The microplastic dynamics between river surface water and sediment compartments
Researchers monitored plastic distribution in surface water and bottom sediment along the urban Tuul River in Mongolia in August 2022 and 2023 at nine sampling sites, using a plankton net for water sampling and measuring river flow rates to determine plastic fluxes. They found strong compositional similarities between water and sediment compartments in dominant plastic types — polyethylene and polypropylene films and fragments — and observed that severe flooding in July 2023 dramatically increased plastic loads in surface water by 1.5 to 539 items per cubic meter compared to the prior year.
Changes in distribution and types of plastic debris in urban river shores, Ulaanbaatar city, Mongolia
Researchers surveyed plastic debris along the Tuul River shoreline in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, finding that microplastics comprised 63% of debris by count, with polystyrene foam dominating micro- and meso-sized fractions (99% and 72% respectively) and fiber and foam abundance increasing from upstream to downstream, reflecting urbanization patterns.
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.
Experimental method for quantifying macroplastic fragmentation in rivers
Researchers proposed and tested an experimental methodology for quantifying macroplastic fragmentation during river transport by conducting repeated mass measurements of tagged plastic items before and after riverine transport over 52-65 days. They found measurable mass loss from fragmentation, providing the first direct field quantification of riverine macroplastic fragmentation rates and supporting the hypothesis that river channels are hotspots for plastic breakdown.
Aging of microplastics in a subtropical river system in Florida, USA
Researchers conducted a two-year field study in a subtropical Florida river to track how five common polymer types age across different environmental layers from air to sediment. They found that aging processes, including surface cracking, chemical oxidation, and microbial colonization, varied significantly by polymer type and environmental position, revealing the complex ways microplastics transform in river systems.
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.
Macroplastic fragmentation in rivers
This review examines how large plastic debris in rivers gradually breaks apart into micro- and nanoplastics through physical abrasion, UV degradation, and biological activity, with river systems acting as long-term reservoirs and transfer pathways for plastic pollution. The authors propose a conceptual framework identifying which properties of the plastic item and which river characteristics control how quickly fragmentation occurs, finding that retention times can range from years to centuries. Understanding these fragmentation rates is essential for predicting how much secondary microplastic pollution ultimately reaches the ocean and enters food chains.
Behavior and distribution of polystyrene foams on the shore of Tuul River in Mongolia
Polystyrene foam debris accumulated along the Tuul River shore in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, with micro-sized foam being the most abundant form and older fragments showing higher surface oxidation. Foam plastics are a major contributor to microplastic pollution in inland water systems, particularly in urban areas.
Experimental method for quantifying macroplastic fragmentation in rivers
Researchers developed an experimental methodology to quantify macroplastic fragmentation during river transport by repeatedly measuring the mass of tagged plastic items before and after transit. A 52-65 day field test of the method yielded the first quantitative measurements of fragmentation rates for 1-litre plastic bottles transported through a river channel.
The microplastic dynamics between river surface water and sediment compartments
Researchers monitored microplastic distribution in surface water and bottom sediments along an urban river in Japan in August 2022 and 2023, tracking how floating microplastics transported downstream by river flow are deposited into bed sediments. The study aimed to elucidate the exchange dynamics between water column and sediment compartments that account for the discrepancy between observed riverine plastic loads and expected ocean inputs.
Understanding the spatio-temporal behaviour of riverine plastic transport and its significance for flux determination: insights from direct measurements in the Austrian Danube River
This study analyzed the spatio-temporal behavior of plastic transport in rivers, examining how flow conditions, catchment characteristics, and seasonal variation influence plastic flux and retention within river systems.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastics in freshwater systems: Dynamic behaviour and transport processes
This review examines how microplastics move through freshwater systems like rivers and lakes on their way to the ocean. The behavior of these particles, including whether they sink, float, or clump together, depends on their size, shape, and density, which constantly change as the plastics weather and interact with organisms. Understanding these transport processes is critical because freshwater systems are a major pathway for microplastic pollution that eventually affects drinking water and aquatic food sources.
River plastic transport and storage budget.
This global synthesis estimated the plastic transport and storage budget for rivers by measuring plastic in the water surface, water column, riverbanks, and floodplains — finding that far more plastic is stored within rivers than is transported to the ocean. The study challenges the assumption that rivers are primarily conduits and highlights them as major long-term plastic reservoirs.
Transport processes of microplastic particles in the fluvial environment : erosion, transport and deposition
This thesis examines how microplastics are eroded, transported, and deposited in river systems, tracing their movement from land sources to the ocean. The research fills an important gap in understanding how rivers act as conduits for microplastic pollution and what processes determine where plastic particles accumulate in freshwater environments.
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.
River plastic during floods: Amplified mobilization, limited river-scale dispersion
Researchers investigated plastic mobilization, transport, and retention dynamics in rivers during flood conditions, finding that high-discharge flood events amplify plastic mobilization from riverbanks and floodplains but that river-scale dispersal of that plastic remains surprisingly limited. They found that most flood-mobilized plastic is re-deposited within the river catchment rather than exported to the ocean, reinforcing the concept that rivers act as both conduits and long-term reservoirs of plastic pollution.
Towards sustainable management of riverine ecosystems: Variability of microplastic diversity and distribution patterns in ecosystem compartments
Researchers analyzed the diversity and distribution patterns of microplastics across different compartments of riverine ecosystems, including surface water, sediment, and soil. They found that surface water and sediments primarily accumulated smaller, low-density, fibrous microplastics, with distribution patterns mainly influenced by population density, flow velocity, and precipitation. The study reveals that microplastic communities across ecosystem compartments are distinct but not fully isolated, reflecting a balance between dispersion and environmental filtering.
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.
Transport of (Micro)plastic Within a River Cross-Section—Spatio-Temporal Variations and Loads
This study measured the transport of micro- and macroplastics across a river cross-section over time, revealing how spatial position in the river, flow conditions, and seasonal variation influence plastic distribution. The findings inform more accurate monitoring protocols for river plastic load assessment.