Settling Velocities of Small Microplastic Fragments and Fibers.

ABSTRACT: There is only sparse empirical data on the settling velocity of small, nonbuoyant microplastics thus far, although it is an important parameter governing their vertical transport within aquatic environments. This study reports the settling velocities of 4031 exemplary microplastic particles. Focusing on the environmentally most prevalent particle shapes, irregular microplastic fragments of four different polymer types (9-289 μm) and five discrete length fractions (50-600 μm) of common nylon and polyester fibers are investigated, respectively. All settling experiments are carried out in quiescent water by using a specialized optical imaging setup. The method has been previously validated in order to minimize disruptive factors, e.g., thermal convection or particle interactions, and thus ena

SUBMITTER: Dittmar S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11008250 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature