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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to On mechanical fragmentation of single-use plastics in the sea swash zone with different types of bottom sediments: Insights from laboratory experiments
ClearSecondary Microplastics Generation in the Sea Swash Zone With Coarse Bottom Sediments: Laboratory Experiments
Laboratory experiments in a simulated beach swash zone showed that mechanical abrasion of polypropylene, polyethylene, and polystyrene debris generates secondary microplastic particles in the 0.5-5 mm size range. The study provides direct experimental evidence that wave action on beaches is an active mechanism producing new microplastics from macroplastic debris.
Combined Effects of UV Exposure Duration and Mechanical Abrasion on Microplastic Fragmentation by Polymer Type
Researchers studied how UV exposure duration and mechanical abrasion combine to fragment different plastic types under simulated beach conditions. They found that polypropylene was far more susceptible to fragmentation than polyethylene after UV weathering, while expanded polystyrene broke apart readily even without UV exposure. The experiments showed that a large fraction of fragmented particles were too small to recover, suggesting that significant amounts of nanoplastic are being generated on beaches.
From macroplastic to microplastic: Degradation of high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene in a salt marsh habitat
Researchers subjected high-density polyethylene, polypropylene, and other plastics to simulated environmental degradation and tracked their fragmentation from macro- to microplastic sizes, characterizing surface changes and particle generation rates.
Macro-plastic weathering in a coastal environment: field experiment in Chesapeake Bay, Maryland
Field experiments in Chesapeake Bay tracked how macroplastic items of different polymer types weathered and fragmented over time in a coastal environment. The study found that UV exposure and wave action caused rapid surface degradation and fragmentation, with important implications for how quickly plastic pollution generates secondary microplastics in coastal zones.
Towards Understanding Drivers of Plastic Embrittlement and Fragmentation in Coastal Environments
This review examines the physical and chemical drivers of plastic fragmentation in coastal environments, including UV radiation, mechanical wave action, temperature fluctuations, and oxidation. The authors find that coastal environments produce microplastics faster than open ocean environments due to compounding abiotic stressors, and that fragmentation dynamics shape the size distribution and toxicity profile of coastal plastic pollution.
From model to nature — A review on the transferability of marine (micro-) plastic fragmentation studies
A review of marine microplastic fragmentation studies found significant methodological inconsistencies that limit transferability of laboratory results to natural marine conditions, and proposes standardization criteria for fragmentation experiments to enable more reliable predictions of plastic degradation at sea.
Experimental study of non-buoyant microplastic transport beneath breaking irregular waves on a live sediment bed
Researchers conducted wave-flume experiments showing that non-buoyant microplastics are transported shoreward under breaking irregular waves, with their cross-shore distribution influenced by wave energy, particle density, and sediment bed dynamics.
Microplastics formation based on degradation characteristics of beached plastic bags
Laboratory weathering of plastic bags under UV and mechanical stress produced microplastic fragments of varied sizes and shapes, with degradation rate and fragment characteristics depending on the bag material and environmental conditions.
Environmental degradation and fragmentation of microplastics: dependence on polymer type, humidity, UV dose and temperature
Researchers systematically tested how UV light, temperature, and humidity cause five common plastic types to break apart into secondary microplastics and nanoplastics. They found that the type of plastic — not the aging conditions — was the main factor determining how quickly it fragmented and what byproducts it released, data that can improve models predicting how plastics break down in the environment.
Wave-induced cross-shore distribution of different densities, shapes, and sizes of plastic debris in coastal environments: A laboratory experiment
Researchers conducted laboratory experiments to understand how wave-induced currents sort and transport plastic debris of different densities, shapes, and sizes across coastal environments, revealing distinct cross-shore distribution patterns.
Difference in polypropylene fragmentation mechanism between marine and terrestrial regions
Researchers compared how polypropylene plastic fragments differently in marine versus terrestrial environments, finding that ocean-exposed plastic shows a distinct delamination pattern while land-based plastic shows surface abrasion. Understanding these mechanisms helps predict how and where microplastics are generated from larger plastic debris.
Factors driving the abundance and distribution of microplastics on sandy beaches in a Southwest Atlantic seaside resort
Researchers investigated factors driving microplastic abundance on sandy beaches along the Southwest Atlantic coast, finding that both natural forces like wave energy and anthropogenic inputs influenced the distribution of fiber and fragment microplastics in surface sediments.
A threshold model of plastic waste fragmentation: New insights into the distribution of microplastics in the ocean and its evolution over time
Researchers developed a fragmentation model for plastic particles in the ocean that postulates a critical size threshold below which further fragmentation becomes extremely unlikely, producing a predicted abundance peak around 1 mm in agreement with field data. The model incorporates realistic environmental input rates and degradation kinetics to project the evolution of microplastic particle size distributions over time.
Laboratory Investigation of Cross-shore Lagrangian Velocities of Buoyant Microplastic Particles in Irregular Waves
This wave flume experiment measured how quickly buoyant microplastic particles travel toward shore under different wave conditions. Results showed that particle beaching time depended mainly on release distance rather than particle properties before wave breaking. The findings help model how floating microplastics accumulate on beaches from ocean sources.
Microplastics Generation: Onset of Fragmentation of Polyethylene Films in Marine Environment Mesocosms
Researchers investigated how high-density polyethylene films from plastic bags fragment into microplastics under simulated beach and nearshore conditions over six months. The study found that natural sunlight exposure on sand or in seawater caused measurable degradation, providing evidence for how everyday plastic bags break down into microplastic particles in marine environments.
Coupling fragmentation to a size-selective sedimentation model can quantify the long-term fate of buoyant plastics in the ocean
A size-selective sedimentation model was coupled with fragmentation dynamics to simulate how large plastic items break down and settle in aquatic environments over time. The coupled model advances predictions of microplastic size distributions and spatial accumulation patterns in rivers and oceans.
Quantification of ocean microplastic fragmentation processes in the Sea of Japan using a combination of field observations and numerical particle tracking model experiments
Researchers combined field observations with a 5-year numerical particle-tracking model to quantify microplastic fragmentation rates in the Sea of Japan, finding that the best-fit simulation included fragmentation occurring both on beaches and in the ocean at about 20% of the beach rate. The study estimated an apparent fragmentation rate of approximately 1.0 mm per 100 days, demonstrating that spatiotemporal simulation data can substantially improve understanding of marine microplastic degradation.
The effects of sediment properties on the aeolian abrasion and surface characteristics of microplastics
Laboratory experiments quantified how sediment properties influence the rate at which wind abrades and fragments exposed microplastics, generating smaller particles. The results improve understanding of aeolian (wind-driven) microplastic fragmentation as a source of airborne micro- and nanoplastics in arid environments.
A laboratory experiment on the effect of waves on the transport and dispersion of macro, meso, and microplastics in the surf zone
This laboratory wave tank experiment examined how waves in the surf zone transport and spread macro-, meso-, and microplastics. Waves caused rapid horizontal and vertical mixing of plastic particles, suggesting that coastal wave action significantly influences where plastic debris concentrates along shorelines.
Laboratory Study of Non-buoyant Microplastic Transport Beneath Breaking Irregular Waves on a Live Sediment Bed
Researchers conducted wave flume experiments to map where non-buoyant microplastic particles accumulate under breaking waves on a sandy seabed, identifying four distinct hotspots — from offshore bars to beaches — and finding that particle density, shape, and position relative to breaking waves are the key drivers of transport direction.
Experimental investigation on the nearshore transport of buoyant microplastic particles
Researchers measured nearshore transport of buoyant microplastic particles and found they travel at near-fluid velocity before wave breaking but accelerate in the surf zone, with lighter particles transported faster, and developed an empirical formula for predicting cross-shore microplastic transport velocities.
Fragmentation of Disposed Plastic Waste Materials in Different Aquatic Environments
PET plastic bottles and non-woven fibers were exposed to different aquatic environments — freshwater, seawater, and wastewater — to study how they fragment over time. PET degraded faster in some environments and produced fragments of varying sizes depending on conditions. Understanding fragmentation pathways is essential for predicting how plastic waste transforms into microplastics in different water bodies.
Conceptual framework for exploring riverine macroplastic fragmentation
This paper presents a conceptual framework for studying how macroplastic debris fragments into smaller particles in rivers, identifying key physical and chemical processes and calling for field-based fragmentation rate data to improve plastic pollution models.
Influence of sediment size on microplastic fragmentation
Researchers examined how sediment grain size influences the physical fragmentation of microplastics in river environments, where the mechanical controls on microplastic storage, remobilization, and transfer pathways remain poorly understood. The study found that sediment size plays a meaningful role in breaking down plastic particles, contributing to the generation of smaller microplastic fragments in fluvial systems.