Determination of Microplastics’ Vertical Concentration Transport (Rouse) Profiles in Flumes

Born, Maximilian P.; Brüll, Catrina; Schaefer, Dirk; Hillebrand, Gudrun; Schüttrumpf, Holger

doi:10.1021/acs.est.2c06885

Cited by 20 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 41 publications

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“…Density is a key factor controlling particle transport, which can be transported floating, suspended or as bedload . For larger particles between 1-3 mm, the location of MPs in the water column is similar to mineral sediments (Born et al, 2023), indicating that higher density MPs are more likely to be transported near the streambed. Conversely, turbulent mixing, such as caused by the weir overflow in our experiment, can also transport low density MPs to the streambed interface (Shamskhany & Karimpour, 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments

Boos,

Dichgans,

Fleckenstein

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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Microplastics (MPs) have been detected ubiquitously in fluvial systems and advective transfer has been proposed as a potential mechanism for the transport of (sub‐) pore‐scale MPs from surface waters into streambed sediments. However, the influence of particle and sediment properties, as well as the hydrodynamic flow regime, on the infiltration behavior and mobility of MPs in streambed sediments remains unclear. In this study, we conducted a series of flume experiments to investigate the effect of particle size (1–10 μm), sediment type (fine and coarse sand), and flow regime (high/low flow) on particle infiltration dynamics in a rippled streambed. Quantification of particles in the flume compartments (surface flow, streambed interface, and in the streambed) was achieved using continuous fluorescence techniques. Results indicated that the maximum infiltration depth into the streambed decreased with increasing particle size (11, 10, and 7 cm for 1, 3, and 10 μm). The highest particle retardation was observed in the fine sediment experiment, where 22% of the particles were still in the streambed at the end of the experiment. Particle residence times were shortest under high flow conditions, suggesting that periods of increased discharge can effectively flush MPs from streambed sediments. This study provides novel insights into the complex dynamics of MP infiltration and retention in streambed sediments and contributes to a better understanding of MPs fate in fluvial ecosystems. Quantitative data from this study can improve existing modeling frameworks for MPs transport and assist in assessing the exposure risk of MPs ingestion by benthic organisms.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 80%

Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments

Boos,

Dichgans,

Fleckenstein

et al. 2024

Water Resources Research

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“…Upon the commencement of settling, the biofilm contributes to alterations in the migratory patterns of the biofouled MPs, notably influencing their vertical settlement through the increase of their density. Concurrently, the biofilm also affects the drag force experienced by the MPs during descent. , To further model the change of drag with the biofilm, CFD simulations are conducted by relating the biofilm to the change of surface roughness. The detailed outcomes of this investigation are presented in the following section.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessing the Settling Velocity of Biofilm-Encrusted Microplastics: Accounting for Biofilms as an Equivalent to Surface Roughness

Meng,

2024

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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While it is well established that a biofilm contributes to the sinking of plastics, the underlying mechanisms of how it influences the vertical transport of plastics have not been well explained. In this context, our study dives into the intricate effects of biofouling on the settling velocity (W s ) of microplastics (MPs) within the fluid. We adopt the perspective that the biofilm is a form of surface roughness impacting the drag coefficient (C d ) and vertical settling of MPs. By advancing the biofouling process model, we simulate the temporal variations of density and biofilm thickness of biofouled floating MPs, accounting for realistic parameters and assuming a layer-by-layer growth of biofilm on plastisphere surfaces. MPs of polyethylene (PE) exhibit a quicker initiation of descent compared to their polypropylene (PP) counterparts. Furthermore, leveraging computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulation, the method to predict the C d of spherical MPs with surface roughness is established. By treating the thickness of the biofilm as roughness height, an explicit method to predict the W s of biofouled MPs is derived. The settling experiments for biofouled MPs conducted not only support the combination of the biofouling model and the explicit method to predict the W s of biofouled MPs but also enhance the prediction accuracy by introducing a ratio parameter C o to better relate the equivalent surface roughness height (k) to the biofilm thickness (σ), i.e., k = C o •σ, where the recommended value of C o for spherical PP and PE MPs is between 0.5 to 0.8. This study, thus, provides new insights into the dynamics of biofouled MPs in hydraulic ecosystems.

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“…3). The application of the Rouse parameter for buoyant and non-buoyant plastic particles has been confirmed by Cowger et al (2021) and Born et al (2023).…”

Section: Generic Prediction Of Particle Transport Mode and Fatementioning

confidence: 76%

Occurrence And Fate Of Microplastics In Urban Freshwater Systems

Zadeh

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General rightsCopyright and moral rights for the publications made accessible in the public portal are retained by the authors and/or other copyright owners and it is a condition of accessing publications that users recognise and abide by the legal requirements associated with these rights.-Users may download and print one copy of any publication from the public portal for the purpose of private study or research. -You may not further distribute the material or use it for any profit-making activity or commercial gain -You may freely distribute the URL identifying the publication in the public portal - V ENGLISH SUMMARYPlastics are one of the most versatile man-made materials. However, their high consumption and disposal cause major environmental issues.

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Determination of Microplastics’ Vertical Concentration Transport (Rouse) Profiles in Flumes

Cited by 20 publications

References 41 publications

Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments

Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments

Assessing the Settling Velocity of Biofilm-Encrusted Microplastics: Accounting for Biofilms as an Equivalent to Surface Roughness

Occurrence And Fate Of Microplastics In Urban Freshwater Systems

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