Work

Longitudinal Dispersion and Hyporheic Exchange of Neutrally Buoyant Microplastics in the Presence of Waves and Currents

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: An experimental study was conducted to identify the behaviour of neutrally buoyant microplastics (specific density, 0.94) in different hydrodynamic conditions while focusing on combined wave–current conditions and the mixing across the hyporheic zone. For in-water-column microplastics, it was observed that the streamwise dispersion of neutrally buoyant microplastics is comparable to solute dye in both slow open-channel flow conditions and combined wave–current conditions. However, for in-bed microplastics, when compared to soluble tracers, the longer timespans associated with the hyporheic exchange process allowed the density effects to enhance the vertical exchange when compared to solutes.

Source: Microplastics

DOI: 10.3390/microplastics3030032

Authors: Merenchi Galappaththige Nipuni Odara, Devvan Waghajiani, George-Catalin Obersterescu, Jonathan Pearson

Institutions: Queen's University Belfast, University of Warwick

Language: English

Topic: Microplastics and Plastic Pollution

Subfield: Pollution

Field: Environmental Science

Domain: Physical Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $1,137

Funder: Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council