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Updated: Nov 26, 2025
Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris
Published on: July 28, 2018
Why analysing microplastics in floodplains matters: application in a sedimentary context
Simone Lechthaler1, Verena Esser2, Holger Schüttrumpf3
1Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and Water Resource Management, RWTH Aachen University, Mies-van-der-Rohe-Straße 17, 52074 Aachen, Germany. lechthaler@iww.rwth-aachen.de and Department of Geography, Chair of Physical Geography and Geoecology, RWTH Aachen University, Wüllnerstraße 5b, 52062 Aachen, Germany.
This study maps microplastic contamination in river sediments, identifying accumulation hotspots in lower river courses and slip-off slopes. Findings establish a basis for dating microplastic deposition over time.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Geochemistry
- Polymer Science
Background:
- Microplastics represent a novel anthropogenic contaminant.
- Research is ongoing to understand microplastic transport and accumulation in various environmental compartments.
- Limited data exists on microplastic distribution within floodplain sediments and at depth.
Purpose of the Study:
- To detect and quantify microplastics in fluvial sediments along a river course.
- To investigate the spatial distribution and depth-related accumulation of microplastics.
- To analyze the relationship between microplastics, sediment characteristics, and heavy metal concentrations.
Main Methods:
- Microplastic identification using infrared spectroscopy.
- Analysis of sediment grain size and heavy metal concentrations.
- Sedimentation rate determination.
Main Results:
- Microplastic concentrations were lower in the upper river course compared to the lower course.
- Slip-off slopes were identified as significant accumulation zones, even in deeper sediment layers.
- Microplastics were predominantly found in fine sediments, with concentrations correlating to heavy metal levels.
Conclusions:
- Floodplain areas and slip-off slopes act as microplastic accumulation hotspots.
- Microplastic analysis provides insights into sedimentation rates and temporal deposition patterns.
- This research lays the groundwork for developing methods to date microplastic contamination in sediments.
