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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of biofouling on the sinking behavior of microplastics
ClearModeling submerged biofouled microplastics and their vertical trajectories
Researchers modeled how biofouling — the growth of algae and microbes on plastic surfaces — affects the vertical movement of microplastic particles in the open ocean. Biofouling increased sinking rates, causing microplastics to accumulate at depth rather than floating at the surface. This has implications for understanding where microplastics end up in the water column and how they are ingested by deep-water organisms.
Rapid aggregation of biofilm-covered microplastics with marine biogenic particles
Researchers demonstrated that biofilm-covered microplastics rapidly aggregate with marine biogenic particles such as algal cells and fecal pellets, which accelerates their sinking from surface waters. The study helps explain why microplastic concentrations at the ocean surface are lower than expected — biofouling causes the particles to be transported to deeper waters and sediments faster than previously assumed.
Sinking of microbial-associated microplastics in natural waters
Researchers investigated how microbial biofilm colonization of microplastics affects their buoyancy and sinking behavior in natural waters, finding that biological ballasting from attached microorganisms can significantly increase particle density and promote vertical transport toward sediments. The results suggest that biofouling is a key mechanism driving the removal of microplastics from surface waters.
Integrated effects of polymer type, size and shape on the sinking dynamics of biofouled microplastics
Researchers investigated how polymer type, size, and shape interact with biofouling to influence microplastic sinking dynamics, finding that biofilm growth altered buoyancy and settling rates in ways that depend on the physical characteristics of each particle.
Sinking characteristics of microplastics in the marine environment
This study investigated the sinking behavior of microplastics in the marine environment, finding that particle properties such as density, shape, and biofouling strongly influence whether particles float or sink, helping explain why much of the expected floating plastic is unaccounted for.
Biofouling on buoyant marine plastics: An experimental study into the effect of size on surface longevity
Researchers tested how quickly marine organisms colonize floating plastic debris of different sizes and whether this biofouling causes the plastics to sink. They found that smaller microplastics accumulated enough biological growth to lose buoyancy and begin sinking within weeks, much faster than larger pieces. The study helps explain why smaller microplastics are unexpectedly scarce at the ocean surface, as biofouling may be rapidly transporting them to deeper waters and sediments.
Impacts of Biofilm Formation on the Fate and Potential Effects of Microplastic in the Aquatic Environment
Researchers reviewed how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces affects the fate and potential ecological effects of microplastics in aquatic environments, finding that biofilms alter particle buoyancy, surface chemistry, and interactions with organisms.
Sinking rates of microplastics and potential implications of their alteration by physical, biological, and chemical factors
Researchers conducted sinking experiments with diverse microplastic particles and found that sinking velocity depends not only on density and size but also on particle shape, and that biofouling and weathering can substantially alter sinking rates with implications for how microplastics distribute through the water column.
Modelling the sedimentation of macro-, micro- and nanoplastics in the ocean from surface to sediment
Researchers modeled the sedimentation of macro-, micro-, and nanoplastics from the ocean surface to the seafloor, finding that biofouling and particle aggregation dramatically accelerate sinking rates and that most plastics eventually reach benthic environments.
Characteristics and Sinking Behavior of Typical Microplastics Including the Potential Effect of Biofouling: Implications for Remediation
Researchers characterized how microplastics of different shapes sink through water, finding that shape is a critical factor, with films behaving very differently from spheres and fibers. The study also examines how biofouling on floating plastics can cause them to sink, with implications for designing filtration and remediation systems.
Biofouling impacts on polyethylene density and sinking in coastal waters: A macro/micro tipping point?
Researchers measured biofouling-induced density changes in polyethylene microplastic particles deployed in coastal waters and found that biofouling caused buoyant particles to sink on timescales of days to weeks, challenging assumptions about surface plastic persistence and potentially explaining the missing plastic paradox.
Assessing the Settling Velocity of Biofilm-Encrusted Microplastics: Accounting for Biofilms as an Equivalent to Surface Roughness
This study investigated how biofilm growth on microplastics affects their sinking behavior in water. Researchers found that treating the biofilm as a form of surface roughness helps accurately predict how quickly biofouled plastic particles settle, with polyethylene particles sinking sooner than polypropylene ones. The findings improve our understanding of how microplastics move through water columns once marine organisms begin colonizing their surfaces.
Biofilm growth on buoyant microplastics leads to changes in settling rates: Implications for microplastic retention in the Great Lakes
Researchers measured biofilm-induced density changes and sinking rates for buoyant polyethylene microplastics in Great Lakes water, finding that biofouling caused particles to sink within days to weeks, with implications for predicting where microplastics accumulate in large lake systems.
Biofilm Formation Influences the Wettability and Settling of Microplastics
This study found that biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces does not necessarily increase particle mass density enough to cause sinking, contradicting a common assumption. Instead, changes in particle wettability caused by biofilm were identified as a critical mechanism controlling microplastic vertical transport in the ocean.
The role of buoyancy in the dispersal of marine plastic debris and the impact of biofouling : does size matter?
This thesis examined why smaller microplastic particles (less than 5mm) appear to be disappearing from the ocean surface at higher rates than expected, investigating how biofouling—colonization by organisms that adds weight—affects the buoyancy and sinking of differently sized plastic items. The study found that size significantly influences how biofouling affects plastic transport, with smaller particles more prone to sinking.
Non-buoyant microplastic settling velocity varies with biofilm growth and ambient water salinity
Researchers investigated how biofilms (thin layers of bacteria that grow on plastic surfaces), water salinity, and suspended clay affect how fast microplastics sink in water, finding that biofilm growth alone increased sinking speed by up to 130% within just hours. These findings show that current models predicting where microplastics end up in rivers and oceans are too simplistic, and that biological and chemical conditions must be factored in for accurate predictions.
Global Modeled Sinking Characteristics of Biofouled Microplastic
Researchers developed a global model of microplastic biofouling and sinking using satellite oceanographic data to estimate where and when buoyant plastic particles sink out of the surface ocean, finding that sinking timescales ranged from days in tropical waters to months in high-latitude regions depending on temperature and productivity.
Microplastic-specific biofilm growth determines the vertical transport of plastics in freshwater
Researchers studied biofilm growth on five different microplastic polymer types in freshwater over 63 days to understand how biological colonization affects sinking behavior. The study found that biofilm growth is polymer-specific and can significantly alter the density of microplastic particles, which in turn determines whether they sink or float, influencing their vertical transport through freshwater systems.
Co-effects of biofouling and inorganic matters increased the density of environmental microplastics in the sediments of Bohai Bay coast
Researchers investigated microplastic characteristics and density changes in coastal sediments of Bohai Bay, finding that biofouling and inorganic matter accumulation significantly increased the density of low-density polyethylene and polypropylene particles, altering their environmental fate and sedimentation behavior.
The factors influencing the vertical transport of microplastics in marine environment: A review
This review examines the factors that cause microplastics to sink from the ocean surface to deeper waters and sediments, including particle properties, biofouling by marine organisms, and interactions with marine snow. Researchers found that biological processes like ingestion and egestion by marine animals play a major role in transporting even lightweight plastics to the seafloor. Understanding these vertical transport mechanisms is essential for accurately assessing where microplastics accumulate in the ocean.
Impact of Biofilm Formation on Microplastic Behaviour in Aquatic Environments: An Comprehensive Review.
This review examines how biofilms — communities of microorganisms that coat microplastics — change the behavior of plastic particles in aquatic environments, affecting how they move, sink, and interact with ecosystems. Understanding biofilm formation on microplastics is key to predicting where these particles end up and what risks they pose to water quality and aquatic life.
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.
Enhanced settling of microplastics after biofilm development: A laboratory column study mimicking wastewater clarifiers
Researchers found that biofilm development on microplastics significantly enhances their settling velocity in laboratory columns mimicking wastewater clarifiers, suggesting that biological fouling is an important mechanism for microplastic removal during wastewater treatment and sedimentation in water bodies.
The Importance of Biofilms on Microplastic Particles in Their Sinking Behavior and the Transfer of Invasive Organisms between Ecosystems
This review explores how biofilm formation on microplastic surfaces, known as the plastisphere, affects the transport and ecological impact of plastic particles in marine environments. Researchers found that biofilm colonization can cause microplastics to sink from the ocean surface, altering their distribution through the water column, while also providing a habitat that protects invasive microbial species. The study suggests that some plastisphere organisms with plastic-degrading abilities could potentially be harnessed for marine pollution cleanup strategies.