2026-04-14T02:04:50Zhttps://recercat.cat/oai/request

oai:recercat.cat:10256/278282025-12-05T06:02:28Zcom_2072_452955com_2072_2054col_2072_453063

00925njm 22002777a 4500 dc Serra Putellas, Teresa author Guardiola, Laura author Colomer, Jordi author 2025-11-24 Sediment beds of aquatic ecosystems are known to present high microplastic contamination levels, where the infiltration of microplastic particles can extend deep into the sediment. In particular, turbulence can fuel the infiltration of microplastics in static beds. A set of experiments varying the turbulence intensity (shear rates from 10.03 to 20.36 s–1) were conducted to determine the dynamic infiltration of microfibers in sediment beds. Eight types of microfibers (with lengths ranging from 3 to 5 mm, diameters from 0.045 to 1 mm, and two polymer types, here, polyethylene terephthalate and polyamide), previously deposited over a sediment floor, were submitted to vertical turbulence generated by an oscillating grid. The turbulence-induced infiltration of microfibers into sediment mimicked the sediment reworking in the bottom floors by episodes of moderate- to high-turbulent activity. The infiltration depth of the microfibers into the sediment floor increased with the shear stress on the bottom and was modulated with the fiber properties. Mainly, the infiltration of microfibers was greater as the diameter of the fibers decreased. In addition, the infiltration was from top to bottom, following an exponential decay in the number of microfibers, in accordance with the fine bridging infiltration mode This work was funded by the Spanish Government’s “Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad” through Grant PID2021-123860OB-I00 Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with ACS 6 http://hdl.handle.net/10256/27828 Microplàstics Microcontaminants Micropollutants Sedimentació Sedimentation and deposition Corrent de terbolesa Turbidity currents Infiltration of Microfibers in Sediment Beds in Moderate- to High-Turbulent Aquatic Environments