Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Dataset for "Modeling of vertical microplastic transport by rising bubbles"

This is the dataset for a modeling study on how rising air bubbles in water transport microplastic particles vertically through the water column. The model helps explain why microplastics can be found distributed throughout ocean depths rather than concentrated only at the surface.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Modeling of vertical microplastic transport by rising bubbles

This study modeled the vertical transport of microplastic particles by rising bubbles in the ocean, finding that bubble-mediated transport significantly enhances surface concentration of microplastics and helps explain why surface measurements often show higher particle densities than bulk water predictions suggest.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 19 citations
Article Tier 2

The rise and rupture of bubbles: applications to biofouling, microplastic pollution, and sea spray aerosols

Researchers studied how rising air bubbles in water collect microplastics and bacteria on their surfaces and transport them to the liquid surface, and how bubble bursting then launches these particles into the air as sea spray — with implications for both aquatic contamination and airborne microplastic exposure.

2023 OpenBU (Boston University)
Article Tier 2

Numerical simulations of bursting bubbles: effects of contamination on droplet ejection and micro- and nanoplastics transport

Scientists used computer simulations to study how tiny plastic particles get launched into the air when bubbles pop at water surfaces, like in oceans or wastewater treatment plants. They found that contaminants in the water change how bubbles burst and affect how many droplets containing microplastics are released into the air we breathe. This research helps us better understand how microplastics from polluted water can end up in the atmosphere and potentially impact human health through inhalation.

2026
Article Tier 2

Microparticle dynamics in upper-ocean turbulence: Dataset for analysis, modeling & prediction

Researchers developed and released a comprehensive open-access dataset from nine direct numerical simulations of particle-laden turbulence designed to represent microplastic and biogenic debris dynamics in the upper-ocean layer, incorporating physicochemical effects of biofilm stickiness. The dataset is intended to facilitate modeling and prediction of microplastic distribution and aggregation patterns in marine turbulence, supporting development of mitigation strategies for ocean plastic pollution.

2024 Data in Brief 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics segregation by rise velocity at the ocean surface

This study modeled the competing forces of particle buoyancy and turbulent mixing that control the vertical distribution of microplastics in the ocean surface layer, finding that particle rise velocity is the key variable that segregates plastic types and determines how they distribute relative to surface and subsurface measurements.

2023 Environmental Research Letters 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoscale insight into the interaction mechanism underlying the transport of microplastics by bubbles in aqueous environment

Nanoscale experiments revealed that bubble capture of microplastics in water is governed by hydrophobic interactions and surface charge complementarity between bubbles and MP particles. Understanding these mechanisms is critical for modeling the role of bubbles in transporting MPs from water to air-water interfaces and across environmental compartments.

2024 Journal of Colloid and Interface Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Elucidating the vertical transport of microplastics in the water column: A review of sampling methodologies and distributions

This review synthesized sampling methodologies and findings on microplastic vertical distribution in the water column, identifying that surface trawl studies dramatically underestimate total water column burdens and that sinking behavior, biofouling, and hydrodynamic processes create complex depth-dependent distribution patterns.

2020 Water Research 93 citations
Article Tier 2

Ups and Downs in the Ocean: Effects of Biofouling on Vertical Transport of Microplastics

Researchers developed the first theoretical model to simulate how biofouling, the growth of microbial biofilms on plastic surfaces, affects the vertical movement of microplastics in the ocean. The model predicts that depending on particle size and density, fouled microplastics may float, sink to the seafloor, or oscillate at intermediate depths. These findings help explain why small microplastics seem to disappear from the ocean surface and suggest they may concentrate at mid-water depths where vulnerable species live.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 877 citations
Article Tier 2

Numerical analysis of boundary conditions in a Lagrangian particle model for vertical mixing, transport and surfacing of buoyant particles in the water column

This technical modeling paper examines how to accurately simulate the behavior of buoyant particles (like microplastics) rising to the ocean surface in computer models. Improving these simulations helps predict where floating microplastics will accumulate in the ocean.

2019 Ocean Modelling 35 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparison of Eulerian and Lagrangian methods for vertical particle transport in the water column

This study compared Eulerian and Lagrangian mathematical methods for modeling how particles including microplastics, plankton, and gas bubbles move vertically in the ocean. Accurate particle transport models are essential for predicting where microplastics accumulate in the water column and ultimately in marine sediments.

2023 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Particle Tracking Model

This is a numerical model dataset examining how microplastics absorbed into phytoplankton aggregates settle and cycle through ocean waters — not a standalone research article.

2023 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Vertical transport of buoyant microplastic particles in the ocean: The role of turbulence and biofouling

Researchers modeled how turbulence and biofouling interact to determine the vertical movement of buoyant microplastic particles in the ocean. They identified three distinct flow regimes that govern whether microplastics stay at the surface, oscillate, or sink to the seafloor. The study helps explain the observation that even low-density microplastics are found in deep ocean sediments, suggesting biofouling-driven density changes are a key transport mechanism.

2025 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of wind mixing on the vertical distribution of buoyant plastic debris

Researchers modeled and measured how wind mixing affects the vertical distribution of buoyant plastic debris in the ocean, finding that turbulent mixing drives plastics below the surface and explains why surface sampling underestimates total plastic concentrations.

2012 Geophysical Research Letters 701 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling the trajectories of floating and non-floating microplastic particles in the water column

Researchers modeled the trajectories of both floating and non-floating microplastic particles in freshwater and marine water columns, accounting for turbulence-induced mixing, buoyancy differences, and flow characteristics that determine vertical and horizontal distribution. The study highlights that while low-density polymers like polyethylene and polypropylene are expected to concentrate at the surface, turbulent mixing drives significant depth distribution across aquatic environments.

2024 E3S Web of Conferences
Article Tier 2

Data and code for "Microplastics as tracers of water-mass transport history reveal non-local net primary production spillovers"

This entry is a duplicate data and code repository (same as ID 2306) associated with the study using microplastics as tracers of ocean water-mass transport.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Investigation of dynamic change in microplastics vertical distribution patterns: The seasonal effect on vertical distribution

This study combined targeted field sampling in the Bay of Marseille with numerical simulations to analyze how microplastic vertical distribution patterns in the ocean water column change seasonally, finding that wind mixing and particle buoyancy are key drivers of vertical transport.

2023 Marine Pollution Bulletin 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Reply on RC1

This is a reviewer response in the peer review process for a study on modeling vertical particle transport in the ocean, including microplastics and other suspended particles. The review process helps ensure the scientific rigor of models used to track plastic movement in marine environments.

2023
Article Tier 2

Response to both reviewers

This author response discusses models for predicting the vertical movement of particles in the ocean, including microplastics, nanoparticles, gas bubbles, and biological material. Accurately modeling how microplastics sink or rise in ocean water is essential for understanding their distribution and fate in marine environments.

2023
Article Tier 2

Data example and code used in the publication "Is transport of microplastics different from that of mineral dust? Results from idealized wind tunnel studies"

This dataset and code repository accompany a wind tunnel study on how microplastic transport by wind compares to mineral dust transport. The study examines whether standard dust transport models can be applied to predict microplastic movement through the atmosphere.

2023
Article Tier 2

Comment on egusphere-2023-1624

This modeling study examined how microplastics aggregate and move below the ocean surface, finding that buoyant plastic particles can be concentrated in vorticity-dominated regions. Understanding subsurface microplastic transport is important for predicting where plastic accumulates and how it enters marine food webs.

2023
Article Tier 2

Experimental evidence of plastic particles transfer at the water-air interface through bubble bursting

Experimental evidence showed that bubble bursting at the sea surface can transfer plastic particles from bulk water to sea spray aerosols, providing a mechanism for microplastics to be transported from ocean surface waters into the atmosphere.

2021 Environmental Pollution 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Comment on gmd-2023-49

This comment is part of the peer review of a study modeling vertical particle transport in the ocean, covering particles like microplastics, nanoparticles, and plankton. Improved models of particle movement help predict where microplastics accumulate in the water column and marine sediments.

2023
Article Tier 2

Data supporting Biofilm Formation Promotes Microplastic Mobility via Hydrodynamic Forces

Researchers generated a dataset supporting experiments on how biofilm formation affects microplastic mobility, demonstrating through hydrodynamic force measurements that biofouled microplastics exhibit altered transport behaviour compared to clean particles, with implications for predicting MP fate and distribution in aquatic environments.

2025 Data Repository for the University of Minnesota