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Modelling microplastic and solute transport in vegetated flows
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Stride, Ben, Abolfathi, Soroush , Odara, N. O. M., Bending, Gary D. and Pearson, Jonathan M. (2023) Modelling microplastic and solute transport in vegetated flows. Water Resources Research . (Submitted)
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WRAP-Modelling-microplastic-solute-transport-vegetated-flows-23.pdf - Submitted Version Embargoed item. Restricted access to Repository staff only - Requires a PDF viewer. Download (1461Kb) |
Abstract
Physical interactions of microplastics within vegetation and turbulent flows of freshwater systems are poorly understood. An experimental study was conducted to investigate the underlying physical transport mechanisms of microplastics over submerged canopies across a range of flow conditions common in the natural environment. The effects of changing canopy heights were investigated by testing two model canopies of varying stem heights, simulating seasonal variation. This study determined and compared the mixing and dispersion processes for microplastics and solutes utilizing fluorometric tracing techniques. A hydrodynamic model was developed based on the advection-dispersion equation for quantifying microplastic mixing in submerged canopies. Longitudinal dispersion coefficients for neutrally buoyant microplastics (polyethylene) and solutes were significantly correlated within submerged model vegetation irrespective of the complexity of the flow regime. Hydrodynamic and solute transport models were shown to be capable of robust predictions of mixing for neutrally buoyant microplastics in environmental flows over a canopy, facilitating a new approach to quantify microplastic transport and fate.
Item Type: | Submitted Journal Article | |||||||||
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Subjects: | T Technology > TA Engineering (General). Civil engineering (General) T Technology > TD Environmental technology. Sanitary engineering T Technology > TP Chemical technology |
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Divisions: | Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Engineering > Engineering Faculty of Science, Engineering and Medicine > Science > Life Sciences (2010- ) |
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Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH): | Microplastics, Polyethylene, Water -- Pollution, Dispersion -- Mathematical models, Fresh water, Vegetation dynamics | |||||||||
Journal or Publication Title: | Water Resources Research | |||||||||
Publisher: | American Geophysical Union ; Wiley | |||||||||
ISSN: | 0043-1397 | |||||||||
Official Date: | 2023 | |||||||||
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Status: | Peer Reviewed | |||||||||
Publication Status: | Submitted | |||||||||
Access rights to Published version: | Restricted or Subscription Access | |||||||||
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