Related Experiment Video
Updated: Sep 10, 2025
05:31
Sampling, Sorting, and Characterizing Microplastics in Aquatic Environments with High Suspended Sediment Loads and Large Floating Debris
Published on: July 28, 2018
16.2K
Vertical distribution of new and weathered microplastics in the water column: Implications for developing reliable
Arghavan Beheshtimaal1, Ruichen Xu1, Binbin Wang2
1Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.
Water Research
|August 27, 2025
Summary
Microplastic weathering alters density and hydrophilicity, affecting their movement in water. This impacts sampling methods, as weathered microplastics are less recovered, highlighting the need to consider MP type and weathering in aquatic sampling.
Area of Science:
- Environmental Science
- Polymer Science
- Oceanography
Background:
- Microplastics (MPs) undergo weathering, altering their properties and mobility in aquatic environments.
- Understanding these changes is crucial for accurate environmental monitoring and sampling.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate how MP type and weathering affect their settling/rise velocities and water column distribution.
- To inform and improve microplastic sampling methodologies.
Main Methods:
- Exposed low-density polyethylene (LDPE), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and ground tire rubber (GTR) to photodegradation and sedimentation.
- Grew biofilms on LDPE and GTR MPs.
- Analyzed changes in MP density, hydrophilicity, and morphology.
- Measured terminal velocities and water column distribution under turbulent flow.
Main Results:
- Photodegradation increased PVC density and LDPE/GTR hydrophilicity.
- Weathering decreased LDPE rise velocity but increased PVC/GTR settling velocities.
- Weathered MPs showed reduced recovery in grab sampling due to altered settling and suspension behaviors.
- MP weathering led to more dispersed vertical distribution, impacting sampling efficiency.
Conclusions:
- MP weathering significantly alters physicochemical properties, influencing their aquatic mobility.
- Current grab sampling methods may underestimate microplastic contamination due to weathering effects and non-uniform distribution.
- Sampling protocols must account for microplastic type and weathering conditions for accurate assessment.
