Particle size and co-presence of PFOA alter the transport of microplastics in saturated natural sediment

ABSTRACT

The transport of microplastics (MPs) with two different sizes in the absence and presence of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) in sediment were systematically investigated in this study. Smaller size of MPs exhibited great transport mobility, while larger size of MPs significantly retained in sediment via electrostatic repulsion and straining mechanisms. MPs transport was insignificantly affected by influent pH values (4.7 and 6.0), likely due to the great buffer capacity of sediment. Effect of PFOA on MPs transport in sediment varied with MPs size and influent pH conditions. PFOA induced more negatively charged MPs surface and greater MPs transport at influent pH of 4.7, and this accelerating effect was more significant for MPs with greater size. In contrast, PFOA have little effect on the transport of both sized MPs at influent pH of 6.0. This work improved our understanding of MPs transport with the co-presence of PFOA in sediment environment.

KEYWORDS:

• Microplastics
• perfluorooctanoic acid
• transport
• particle size
• sediment

Acknowledgment

This work was partially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (42007114), the National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province (BK20200817), and the Open Foundation of State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control (MEESEPC202305).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Supplementary material

Supplemental data for this article can be accessed online at https://doi.org/10.1080/26395940.2024.2308116.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [42007114]; Open Foundation of State Environmental Protection Key Laboratory of Soil Environmental Management and Pollution Control [MEESEPC202305]; National Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province [BK20200817].