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Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Experimental Study of Particle Transport and Deposition Distribution over Complex Terrains Based on Spherical Alumina
ClearEffects 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.
A mechanistic approach to evaluating atmospheric deposition of micro- and nanoplastic particles
This study developed a theoretical framework to better understand how microplastic and nanoplastic particles move through the atmosphere and deposit onto land and water surfaces via wet and dry deposition. By drawing on knowledge from how other aerosols like mineral dust behave, the researchers identified key physical processes — including particle size, shape, and density — that govern how far microplastics travel and where they land. The work is important for modeling the global spread of microplastic pollution, including to remote regions far from pollution sources.
Distribution and transport of atmospheric microplastics and the environmental impacts: A review
This review examines the distribution, transport, and environmental impacts of atmospheric microplastics, synthesizing evidence that airborne plastics are found globally from urban centers to remote polar regions. The authors identify deposition via precipitation as a major pathway by which atmospheric microplastics contaminate soil and water surfaces.
Is transport of microplastics different from mineral particles? Idealized wind tunnel studies on polyethylene microspheres
Wind tunnel experiments revealed that plastic (polyethylene) microspheres behave differently from mineral dust particles when transported by wind, particularly on hydrophobic surfaces, where plastic particles detach and become airborne more readily. Particle-to-particle collisions were found to both assist and impede detachment. These findings help explain why microplastics are found in remote atmospheric environments and improve models for predicting how far plastic particles can travel through the air from pollution sources.
Twist, turn and encounter: the trajectories of small atmospheric particles unravelled
Experiments and simulations studied how non-spherical solid particles (including microplastics) settle through air, finding unexpectedly complex tumbling and spiraling trajectories even at low speeds. These insights improve predictions of how airborne microplastic particles travel and deposit across landscapes.
Lagrangian tracking of particles settling through the atmosphere: influence of particle shape on its dispersion
Researchers launched instrumented balloon experiments as part of the IMPACT field campaign in northern Finland to track non-spherical particle settling through the atmosphere, finding that particle shape significantly influences dispersion trajectories and that existing spherical-particle models underestimate the spread of realistic atmospheric particles such as microplastics.
Dynamics of airborne microplastics, appraisal and distributional behaviour in atmosphere; a review
This review explores the sources, distribution, and behaviour of airborne microplastics in the terrestrial environment. Researchers summarize how factors like size, density, and atmospheric conditions influence microplastic transport and concentration in air. The study highlights that airborne exposure represents a significant and relatively understudied route of human microplastic intake, with particles capable of carrying organic pollutants that bioaccumulate through food webs.
Is transport of microplastics different from that of mineral dust? Results from idealized wind tunnel studies
Researchers conducted wind tunnel experiments to examine the detachment and transport behavior of microplastics ranging from 38 to 125 um in diameter from idealized substrates, comparing their aerodynamic behavior to the well-established literature on mineral dust transport. The study identified key differences in microplastic detachment mechanisms relevant to understanding long-range atmospheric dispersal of plastic particles.
Physical and Chemical Characterisation of Nanoplastic Aerosol
Researchers physically and chemically characterized nanoplastic aerosol particles to better understand their atmospheric behavior, finding that particle size and surface chemistry influence their capacity for long-range atmospheric transport and deposition in remote environments.
Atmospheric Microplastic Transport
This review examines atmospheric transport of microplastics, covering emission sources including roads and oceans, the meteorological and particle-characteristic factors influencing transport and deposition, and the cycles by which microplastics are redistributed to remote environments including high-altitude and polar regions.
Importance of atmospheric transport for microplastics deposited in remote areas
This study highlights atmospheric transport as a significant and underappreciated pathway for depositing micro- and nanoplastics in remote areas including mountain regions and polar zones far from plastic sources. Airborne plastic particles can travel thousands of kilometers before being deposited, explaining the presence of microplastics in seemingly pristine remote environments.
Atmospheric transport dynamics of microplastic fibres
Researchers examined the atmospheric transport dynamics of microplastic fibres within boundary layer flows, comparing their motion to mineral grain transport and finding key differences in behaviour that have important implications for modelling the long-range atmospheric dispersal of microplastics to remote and rural locations.
Tracing the horizontal transport of microplastics on rough surfaces
Wind tunnel experiments showed that microplastics of different shapes are transported horizontally across rough surfaces at wind speeds above threshold values, with flatter and lighter particles moving farther per wind impulse, providing empirical data for modeling atmospheric microplastic dispersal across terrestrial landscapes.
Modeling the Gravitational Settling of Microplastic Fibers in the Atmosphere
Researchers developed and applied a model for gravitational settling of microplastic fibers in the atmosphere, examining how fiber shape and size influence atmospheric residence time and deposition patterns to better understand the global atmospheric transport cycle of microplastics.
Quantifying Atmospheric Deposition of Microplastics in Urban and Suburban O'ahu
Researchers quantified atmospheric deposition of microplastics across urban and suburban sites on O'ahu, Hawaii, characterising deposition rates and particle composition to assess airborne microplastic transport in a Pacific island environment.
Microplastics ride the atmosphere
Research confirms that microplastic particles are transported through the atmosphere over long distances, depositing in remote areas including the Arctic and high mountains. Atmospheric transport is now recognized as a major pathway spreading microplastic contamination to virtually every part of the planet.
Geometrically-driven selective transport of microplastics across atmosphere-land
Researchers analyzed how the geometric characteristics of atmospheric microplastics — shape and aspect ratio — determine their selective deposition patterns in Shanghai, finding that particle geometry is a crucial factor governing which microplastic types preferentially accumulate at different locations.
Twist, turn and encounter: the trajectories of small atmospheric particles unravelled
This study used trajectory modeling to trace the movement of small atmospheric particles including microplastics, uncovering complex transport pathways driven by turbulence, wind patterns, and particle size interactions.
Microplastic shape affects travel distance
Researchers found that microplastic shape significantly influences atmospheric transport distance, with fibre and complex-shaped particles travelling farther than spherical ones assumed in most models, helping explain the detection of microplastics in remote locations such as Antarctica and Mount Fuji.
Shape matters: long-range transport of microplastic fibers in the atmosphere
This study modeled the long-range atmospheric transport of microplastic fibers, finding that their elongated non-spherical shape causes them to travel much farther than spherical particles before settling. This helps explain why microplastic fibers are found even in the most remote locations on Earth, far from any plastic pollution source.