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Transport of Microplastics in Shore Substrates over Tidal Cycles: Roles of Polymer Characteristics and Environmental Factors by Qi Feng; Zhi Chen; Charles W. Greer; Chunjiang An; Zheng Wang is a Environmental Science article available to read on EtoBox.

What is Transport of Microplastics in Shore Substrates over Tidal Cycles: Roles of Polymer Characteristics and Environmental Factors about?

Tidal zones providing habitats are particularly vulnerable to microplastic (MP) pollution. In this study, the effects of tidal cycles on the transport of MPs (4−6 μm polyethylene, PE1; 125 μm polyethylene, PE2; and 5−6 μm polytetrafluoroethylene, PFTE) in porous media combined with various environmental and MPs properties were systemically investigated. The results indicated that smaller substrate sizes exhibited higher retention percentages compared to those of larger substrate sizes under different tidal cycles. In terms of the size of MPs, a larger size (same density) was found to result in enhanced retention of MPs in the column. As the number of tidal cycles increased, although the transport of MPs from the substrate to the water phase was enhanced, PE1 was washed out more with the change in water level, compared to PTFE. Additionally, more MPs were retained in the column with the increase of salinity and the decrease of flow velocity under the same tidal cycles. Ultraviolet and seawater aged PE1 showed enhanced transport, while aged PTFE showed enhanced retention under the same tidal cycles. These results can help understand the MP behaviors in the shoreline environment and p

Who reads Transport of Microplastics in Shore Substrates over Tidal Cycles: Roles of Polymer Characteristics and Environmental Factors?

Author

Qi Feng; Zhi Chen; Charles W. Greer; Chunjiang An; Zheng Wang

Publisher

American Chemical Society (ACS)

Published

2022

Language

EN

Field

Environmental Science (Physical Sciences)