Effect of Physical Characteristics and Hydrodynamic Conditions on Transport and Deposition of Microplastics in Riverine Ecosystem

Microplastic disposal into riverine ecosystems is an emergent ecological hazard that mainly originated from land-based sources. This paper presents a comprehensive review on physical processes involved in microplastics transport in riverine ecosystems. Microplastic transport is governed by physical...

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Published in:Water (Basel) Vol. 13; no. 19; p. 2710
Main Authors: Kumar, Rakesh, Sharma, Prabhakar, Verma, Anurag, Jha, Prakash Kumar, Singh, Prabhakar, Gupta, Pankaj Kumar, Chandra, Ravish, Prasad, P. V. Vara
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Basel MDPI AG 01.10.2021
Subjects:
Aquatic ecosystems
biodiversity
Biofilms
climate change
ecosystems
Environmental conditions
Flow velocity
Fluid mechanics
Gravity
hydrodynamics
Influence
microplastics
Physical properties
Plastic pollution
pollution
Polyethylene
riparian areas
River ecology
rivers
Sedimentation & deposition
Sediments
stakeholders
turbulent flow
water
ISSN:2073-4441, 2073-4441
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Microplastic disposal into riverine ecosystems is an emergent ecological hazard that mainly originated from land-based sources. This paper presents a comprehensive review on physical processes involved in microplastics transport in riverine ecosystems. Microplastic transport is governed by physical characteristics (e.g., plastic particle density, shape, and size) and hydrodynamics (e.g., laminar and turbulent flow conditions). High-density microplastics are likely to prevail near riverbeds, whereas low-density particles float over river surfaces. Microplastic transport occurs either due to gravity-driven (vertical transport) or settling (horizontal transport) in river ecosystems. Microplastics are subjected to various natural phenomena such as suspension, deposition, detachment, resuspension, and translocation during transport processes. Limited information is available on settling and rising velocities for various polymeric plastic particles. Therefore, this paper highlights how appropriately empirical transport models explain vertical and horizontal distribution of microplastic in riverine ecosystems. Microplastics interact, and thus feedback loops within the environment govern their fate, particularly as these ecosystems are under increasing biodiversity loss and climate change threat. This review provides outlines for fate and transport of microplastics in riverine ecosystems, which will help scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in better monitoring and mitigating microplastics pollution.
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ISSN:2073-4441
2073-4441
DOI:10.3390/w13192710