Sediment-Water Interfaces as Traps and Sources of Microplastic Fragments and MicrofibersInsights from Stream Flume Experiments.

ABSTRACT: Microplastic pollution has been found to negatively impact water quality and ecosystem health in numerous riverine environments at different spatial and temporal scales. However, many of the underlying principles controlling microplastic transport and retention mechanisms are still poorly understood. Here, we study the deposition behavior of nylon fibers and fragments (small and large) in flow-controlled stream flume experiments with gravel or mixed sediment. We use a stochastic modeling approach and Latin hypercube sampling to optimize the parameters describing microplastic deposition and resuspension and relate deposition rates to settling rates calculated using Stoke's law. Our experiments show that lower streamflow velocity leads to faster microplastic deposition, an effect that is sha

SUBMITTER: Schneidewind U 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12624745 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature