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Infiltration Behavior of Microplastic Particles with Different

Densities, Sizes, and ShapesFrom Glass Spheres to Natural
Sediments
Kryss Waldschläger* and Holger Schüttrumpf
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ABSTRACT: In this study, the infiltration behavior of 21

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microplastic particles with different densities, diameters, and

shapes was investigated using columns of glass spheres with
different grain diameters. The glass spheres were considered as an
analogy for natural sediment and the results were afterward
transferred to natural sediment and compared to fine sediment
infiltration. The infiltration depth of the microplastic particles
increased with decreasing diameter of the microplastic particles
(dMP) and with increasing diameter of the glass spheres (dGS). At
ratios of dMP/dGS > 0.32, hardly any infiltration could be observed.
In regard to the particle shape, the data shows that spherical
particles infiltrate deeper than fragments and fibers. In case of
fibers, the fiber diameter, in particular, influences the depth of
infiltration, with thinner fiber diameters leading to deeper infiltration depths. Fragments, such as tire abrasion, infiltrated less deeply
than spherical particles, probably due to the entanglement of the angular particles in the pores. Finally, based on the experiments,
this study provides initial indications of reasonable sampling depths in dependence of the grain sizes of the bottom sediment and the
microplastic particles. According to this, microplastics in detectable particle sizes (>100 μm) are only found on the surface of
sediment consisting of coarse silt and fine sand, while the particles might infiltrate up to 13 cm into sediment consisting of coarse
sand, fine gravel, and medium gravel. A statement of depth-variable microplastic concentrations is therefore mainly useful for these
sediment types. Accordingly, in future sediment samples, the grain size distribution of the sediment should always be indicated to
better evaluate the detected microplastic concentrations.

■ INTRODUCTION
Although there is an increasing number of studies on
microplastic (MP) concentrations in rivers and their sedi-
ments, the prevailing transport mechanisms of plastic particles
in the aquatic environment remain poorly understood.1−7 For
this reason, it has not yet been possible to make reliable
statements on transport routes, sources, and sinks of MP in
rivers.8,9
Especially the infiltration depths of MP particles as well as
their residence time in the fluvial sediment is of ecotoxico-
logical importance, as it has a major influence on the exposure
to organisms,10−12 and for the remobilization of MP.5,13
Furthermore, the bulk density of the sediment is reduced due
to MP infiltration14 and the porosity of the sediment might
decrease, as it does due to fine sediment infiltration.15 Since
fine sediment infiltration, in contrast to MP infiltration, has
already been investigated extensively, this study examines the
transferability of principles from sedimentological research to
MP to gain a better understanding of the infiltration behavior
of MP.
Basics from Fine Sediment Infiltration. Fine sediment,
defined as particles with diameters of less than 2 mm (e.g.,
sand, clay, or silt),15−17 represents a potential ecological hazard
in rivers, as it can clog the pore spaces between larger sediment
grains, causing habitat loss and reducing the hyporheic
exchange of oxygen and nutrients. Infiltration of fine sediment
particles depends on turbulence, sinking properties of the
particles,18 horizontal and interstitial flow,17 and gravitational
processes.16 Movement of the particles can also be influenced
by their particle properties, such as shape, density, and size.19
Recent investigations have additionally shown that fine
sediment is able to spread by hyporheic exchange in pore
spaces in the fluvial sediment,20 as shown in Figure 1. In
Received: March 20, 2020
Revised: June 23, 2020
Accepted: July 5, 2020
Published: July 5, 2020

© 2020 American Chemical Society https://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c01722

9366 Environ. Sci. Technol. 2020, 54, 9366−9373
Environmental Science & Technology
Figure 1. Transport of particles (MP) in soil and sediment (partly inspired by Frei et al.21).
principle, it can be assumed that MP can also be transported
on these routes.21
Fine sediment infiltration can occur in two different ways
(see Figure 1):22−25
• Formation of a surface-clogging layer by the embedding
of fine particles in pore necks (bridging process).
• Infiltration of fine sediment down to a possibly
impermeable layer and subsequent filling of the pores
over the entire depth (unimpeded static percolation
USP).
For fine sediment, only the pore geometry and the particle
size of the sediment bed and the infiltrating sediment seem to
influence whether USP or bridging occurs.26,27 In addition, the
following variables have an influence on the infiltration
process:18,23−26,28
• Physical variables: flow conditions in the
stream,18,25,26,28 suspended sediment,18,26 particle-size
distribution18,23−26,28 and the shape of the suspended
particles, and hydraulic gradient of the seepage water
flow and its direction.
• Biological variables: species (invertebrates, algae etc.)
and their abundance, and the degree of eutrophication of
the water.
• Chemical variables: type and quantity of dissolved
substances.
Microplastic Distribution and Transport in Sediment.
In recent years, an increasing amount of sampling of fluvial
sediment has been carried out to identify MP.29−32 According
to a recent review study,33 between 0.26 34 and 70 600
particles/kg35 have been found in fluvial bottom sediment so
far, while in fluvial bank sediment between 18 36 and 6920
particles/kg,37 and in floodplains 593 particles/kg were
identified.38
Depth-variable MP concentrations in sediment are rarely
published. Fan et al.31 investigated streambed sediment cores
of the Pearl River in China and found more MP at the surface
of the streambed sediment than in deeper layers, but the
number of fine MP particles (d < 0.45 mm) increased with
greater depth, indicating a potential downward distribution of
fine MP and occurring USP. Frei et al.21 were able to detect
MP in the streambed sediment of the Roter Main down to a
depth of 60 cm. The sediment mainly consisted of sand,
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medium and coarse gravel, and cobbles. They could not detect
any trend in depth distribution, polymer compositions, and
particle shapes. Corcoran et al.14 investigated a possible
relationship between the sediment grain size and MP
concentrations. They identified more MP in the smaller
sediment grain sizes, but did not look at the infiltration depth
in different sediment grains.
In addition to the small knowledge on depth-variable MP
concentrations, no studies on the transport behavior of MP in
fluvial sediments have been conducted so far. Besides the
basics from fine sediment infiltration, the transport behavior of
MP in soils could also provide interesting insights on which
factors are relevant for MP infiltration into fluvial sediment.
The transport of MP in the soil is influenced by the particle
properties, the pore space and the water flow in the soil, wet−
dry cycles, as well as soil biota, flora, and human activities like
plowing and harvesting.39,40 The important particle properties
for the vertical transport into the soil are supposed to be the
particle size, hydrophobicity, density, and shape of the
particles,39 with only the effects of size41 and hydrophobicity42
having been investigated so far. The shape of the particles
seems to influence the intensity of particle entanglement in the
soil matrix.39 Regarding pore spaces, it is assumed that soil
used for agriculture and forestry retain MP better than urban
soil due to their higher permeability and lower surface runoff.43
Accordingly, MP particle properties, pore space and vertical
water flow seem to be particularly relevant for the infiltration of
MP into fluvial sediment.
This study, therefore, examines the infiltration depths of MP
particles using physical model experiments, with a special focus
on the influence of particle density, diameter, shape, and the
grain diameter of the infiltrated sediment. Furthermore,
comparisons with fine sediment infiltration are made to
evaluate the transferability of the sedimentological principles
on MP infiltration.
■
MATERIALS AND METHODS
The aim of the physical experiments was to determine the
maximum infiltration depth as well as the depth distribution of
different MP particles depending on their particle properties
(density, diameter, and shape) and on the diameter of the
infiltrated sediment. Glass spheres (GS) were used instead of
natural sediment to provide the exact grain sizes of the
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infiltrated sediment. Another advantage of using GS was their
transparency, which made the MP particles stand out clearly
and easy to identify.
For the physical model tests, a round cylinder with an inner
diameter of 194 mm and a height of 500 mm was used, which
had an outlet at the bottom for the introduced water and a 100
μm mesh sieve for particle retention. At the top end of the
cylinder, water was introduced evenly distributed through a
rain shower head (cf. Figure 2).
gravel-like sphere diameters (according to DIN EN ISO
14688-1:44 2−63 mm), as infiltration in gravel beds was an
important research focus for fine sediment.18,26,28
The porosity of the GS packages was first determined using
the water displacement method: a known amount of water was
poured into the cylinder until the GS were covered by water,
with the volume of water being equal to the pore volume.
Then, according to Schruff,15 the porosity nGS of the GS can be
determined using the following formula
VP
nGS =
VT

With VP: pore volume and VT: total volume.

Figure 2. Profile view of the test setup filled with glass spehres (left)
and top view of the filled column including microplastic particles on
its surface (right).
For each test, the cylinder was filled with GS up to a height
of 30 cm, which were compressed by tapping on the outside of
the cylinder to produce a stable and tight packing of the GS.15
GS with diameters (dGS) of 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, and 11 mm were
used, which were used as uniform GS compositions (for all
diameters) as well as combined as bimodal GS compositions
(2 and 4, 3 and 6, 4 and 8 mm), resulting in 10 different GS
compositions. The GS compositions are described in Table S1
in the Supporting Information. Special attention was given to
After the porosity was determined, the water in the cylinder
was drained off and a mixture of different MP particles was
applied to the surface. The same mixture was used for all of the
tests and consisted of 21 different particle types that are shown
in Table 1.
Per particle type, 10 particles were introduced into the
column to obtain a fluctuation range of the infiltration depths,
resulting in a total of 210 MP particles being added to the
column in each experiment. The particle types varied in
polymer type (density), particle diameter, and particle shape.
This included the low-density polymers polyethylene (PE) and
polypropylene (PP), and the high-density polymers polystyr-
ene (PS), polyamide (PA), poly(ethylene terephthalate)
(PET), and styrene−butadiene rubber (SBRtire abrasion).
Particle densities were determined using the titration method
according to DIN 53 47945 and ranged between 0.870 and
1.368 g/m3. Particle shapes included fibers, pellets, spheres,
and fragments. The fibers, pellets, and spheres were ordered
online and the fragments were produced in a cutting mill
provided by the Institute of Plastic Processing (IKV) of the
RWTH Aachen University. The tire abrasion was provided by
tire manufacturers. According to Waldschläger and Schüt-
trumpf,4 the equivalent particle diameter dMP was calculated by

Table 1. Microplastic Composition for the Experiments

no. polymer shape dMP [mm] color ρMP [g/m3]

1 poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) fragment 1.50 blue 1.368
2 pellet 2.51 blue 1.368
3 2.29 black 1.368
4 fiber 1.36 (l: 10 mm, d: 0.5 mm) clear 1.368
5 1.08 (l: 5 mm, d: 0.5 mm) clear 1.368
6 poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) pellet 3.17 gray 1.307
7 fragment 1.50 gray 1.307
8 styrene−butadiene rubber (SBR) fragment 0.60 black 1.140
9 polyamide (PA) pellet cubic 0.75 red 1.140
10 1.00 red 1.140
11 (CoPA) fiber 1.36 (l: 10 mm, d: 0.5 mm) green 1.107
12 1.08 (l: 5 mm, d: 0.5 mm) green 1.107
13 2.15 (l: 10 mm, d: 1 mm) blue 1.107
14 polystyrene (PS) sphere 4.83 orange 1.021
15 polyethylene (PE) sphere 1.00 red 0.936
16 fiber 2.15 (l: 10 mm, d: 1 mm) orange 0.917
17 polypropylene (PP) sphere 5.00 white 0.940
18 3.00 black 0.940
19 pellet 3.91 clear 0.905
20 fiber 1.36 (l: 10 mm, d: 0.5 mm) white 0.870
21 1.08 (l: 5 mm, d: 0.5 mm) white 0.870

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Figure 3. Maximum infiltration depth of the individual MP particles depending on the grain size of the glass spheres and sorted according to their
shape. The MP particles are sorted from left to right in ascending order of their equivalent sphere diameter. For the same diameter, the particles are
sorted from left to right in descending order according to their density.
3
abc , with a, b, and c being the longest, medium, and shortest
particle side lengths, respectively.
During the test duration of 1 h, a constant amount of water
(4600 mL/min) streamed continuously through the GS. The
outflow was regulated so that no water accumulated in the
column. Each test setup was repeated three times to conduct a
wider range of infiltration depths for each particle.
Measuring Method. To measure the infiltration depths,
lines were drawn on the measuring cylinder at different heights,
dividing the GS column into layers, each 2 cm deep. After an
experiment was carried out, particles that were still on top of
the GS were recorded first. Afterward, 2 cm of the GS were
carefully removed from the surface and the observed particles
in the examined layer were recorded. After removing a layer,
the surface of the new layer was again scanned for particles and
these were assigned to the layer above. This process was
repeated until no more particles were found in two successive
layers and the majority of the particles were recovered.
■
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
96.5% of all particles were recovered so that a good
representation of the infiltration depths of all particles is
given. The porosities of the different GS packings are displayed
in Table S2 in the Supporting Material. Figure 3 shows an
overview of the maximum infiltration depths of all MP particles
in dependence of the diameter of the GS, sorted with regard to
their particle shapes and the three particle side lengths a, b, and
c.
It becomes clear that the infiltration depth of the particles
increases with decreasing dMP and with increasing dGS. It is also
clearly visible that the bimodal GS packings have lower
infiltration depths than comparable uniform packings.
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Influence of the Particle Properties on the Infiltration
Depth. To determine the influence of the individual particle
properties on the infiltration depth, possible influencing
parameters must first be determined. The Corey Shape Factor
(CSF) and the Powers Roundness are, herein, used as
parameters for the particle shape. The following applies
c
CSF =
ab
Powers Roundness was determined by two independent
observers and the mean value was formed. The scale for the
Powers Roundness ranges from 0 to 6, where 0 describes a very
angular and 6 a well-rounded particle. Powers roundness was
considered as the roundness of the corners of a particle could
influence whether the particle gets stuck in the pores and is
thus being trapped.39
For a quantitative evaluation of the influence of the particle
shape on the infiltration depth, statistical evaluations of the
results were performed in a multiple linear regression analysis
(cf. Table S3 in the Supporting Information). CSF and Powers
Roundness have no significant influence (p > 0.05), while dMP
and dGS have high significant influences (p < 0.001). However,
since clear differences can be observed between the individual
MP particle groups (spheres and pellets, fibers, fragments),
mostly qualitative evaluations are made in the following.
When looking exclusively at the spherical MP particles in
Figure 3, it becomes clear that the smaller the diameter, the
deeper the particles infiltrate. Compared with cubic and
cylindrical particles, the round MP particles infiltrate deeper.
PE spheres with a diameter of 1 mm are the only MP particles
that have infiltrated to the bottom of the experimental column,
whereas cubic particles with the same or a smaller diameter did
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not infiltrate as deeply. The 3 mm PP spheres have also GS, exponential regression lines fit the results the best
infiltrated deeper than comparable cylindrical pellets. (comparison of linear, exponential, logarithmic, polynomic,
A comparison of fibers (cf. Figure 3) with the same and power trend lines). The formulae shown below describe
dimensions but different densities (PET fiber: 1.368 g/m3; the maximum infiltration depth for the different MP shapes.
CoPA fiber: 1.107 g/m3; PP fiber: 0.870 g/m3) shows that the • Fibers (r2 = 0.9232):
infiltration depths only differ by a few centimeters so that the infiltration depth [m] = 0.017e208.35dGS
influence of the particle density seems to be low. In a • Fragments and tire abrasion (r2 = 0.7837):
comparison of fibers with the same diameter but different infiltration depth [m] = 0.0314e150.69dGS
lengths (5 and 10 mm), it can be seen that shorter fibers • Spheres and pellets (r2 = 0.9042):
infiltrate deeper (maximum infiltration: 16 cm) than longer infiltration depth [m] = 0.0178e238.13dGS
fibers (maximum infiltration: 14 cm), even if the difference is
The formulae can be used to determine rough sampling depths
small. The fibers with a thicker diameter (diameter: 1 mm;
for MP analysis, depending on the natural grain size of the
maximum infiltration: 4 cm) infiltrate comparatively little
sediment. Table 2 gives an approximation on these sampling
compared to the thinner fibers (diameter: 0.5 mm; maximum
infiltration: 16 cm). This indicates that the diameter of fibers
has a greater influence on the infiltration behavior than the Table 2. Maximum Infiltration Depth for Different MP
fiber length and the fiber density, which can be also be Groups in Natural Sediments Determined by the Formulae
demonstrated by a multiple linear regression analysis Developed by Linear Regressiona
(diameter: p < 0.05; length: p > 0.05; density: p > 0.05). max.
Both types of fragments show deep infiltrations of up to 16 max. infiltration max. infiltration
infiltration depth for depth for
cm, with no clear difference between the different particle sediment grain size depth for fragments spheres and
densities (PET: 1.368 g/m3; PVC: 1.307 g/m3). Depending on type [mm] fibers [cm] [cm] pellets [cm]
the diameter of the GS, the infiltration depth of the tire coarse silt 0.02−0.063 1.72 3.17 1.81
abrasion is between 4 and 20 cm, with deeper infiltration fine sand 0.063−0.2 1.77 3.24 1.87
depths being accompanied by larger GS diameters. Only small medium 0.2−0.63 1.94 3.45 2.07
PE spheres (1 mm) infiltrated deeper than the tire abrasion, sand
which has the smallest particle diameter of all MP particles. coarse 0.63−2 2.58 4.24 2.86
sand
Since the larger PE spheres (1 mm) infiltrated to the bottom of
fine gravel 2−6.3 6.32 8.11 7.98
the column, it was to be assumed that the tire abrasion, which
medium 6.3−20 109.69 63.94 208.34
was only about 0.6 mm in size and heavier than the PE gravel
particles, might also be found at the bottom. Despite the small a
Grain size of sediment classified according to DIN EN ISO 14688-
particle diameters, however, the tire abrasion particles did not 1.44
infiltrate to the bottom of the column, which might be due to
the entanglement of the angular shaped particles.39
Influence of the Glass Sphere Diameter on the
Infiltration Depth. As expected, the infiltration depths of depths. The maximum grain size of medium gravel was used as
the MP particles increase with increasing diameters of the GS an upper limit of the applicability of the formulae, as GS with
(cf. Figure 3). Based on the experiments, it can be roughly the size of medium gravel were used in the experiments. The
stated that the infiltration depths of the MP particles were 10− depths for coarse silt to medium sand have been extrapolated
20 times greater than the diameter of the GS (cf. Supporting from the experiments using the formulae, which is why these
Material, Table S5). A linear and a multiple linear regression results should be treated with caution. Furthermore, the
analysis, considering the dependence of the infiltration depth formulae are not time-dependent and therefore describe a
on the diameters of MP and GS as well as on the porosity and stationary infiltration state, which has set after 1 h. In addition,
the MP/GS diameter ratio was performed. According to Table not only downward flow occurs in nature, but turbulence can
S4 in the Supporting Information, dGS is a highly significant be present in the benthic zone, which might reduce MP
parameter for the infiltration depth of the MP particles infiltration so that the given values must be regarded as the
(multiple linear regression and linear regression: p < 0.001). maximum possible infiltration depths. Especially in regions
The ratio between the diameters of the infiltrating MP and the with coarse sediment, high water energy occurs, which might
GS also significantly influences the depth of infiltration (p < keep MP from infiltrating the streambed sediment.
0.001). Additionally, the porosity has a highly significant As only few studies are published that indicate both depth-
influence on the infiltration behavior (p < 0.001). This is variable MP concentrations and grain size of the natural
illustrated graphically in Figure 3, as the MP particles infiltrate sediment, a validation of the sampling depths proposed here is
much deeper in the uniform packings than in the bimodal currently hardly possible. Only Frei et al.21 stated that they
packings, which have, in comparison to the uniform packings, found MP particles (size range: 20−5000 μm) up to a depth of
lower porosities. To consider the influence of bimodal 60 cm in a coarse sediment consisting of sand, fine, and
packings compared to uniform packings, a multiple linear medium gravel (diameter: 0.0625−64 mm). This corresponds
regression analysis of the porosity (nGS) and the ratio of to the sampling depth of fragments in medium gravel in Table
diameters was performed. As the linear regression analysis 2.
shows, both parameters are significant for the infiltration depth Comparison to the Infiltration Behavior of Fine
(p < 0.05). Sediment. For fine sediment infiltration, Schruff15 defined
When the maximum infiltration depths of the different MP the following ranges of different infiltration behaviors:
particle groups (fibers, fragments and tire abrasion, and spheres • du/Du < 0.11: Unimpeded static percolation (USP)
and pellets) are brought into relation with the grain size of the only a very small proportion of the fine sediments are
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deposited on the bed (volume share <1%) and percolate

for the most part through the bed sediment.
• 0.11 < du/Du < 0.32: Finite depth infiltration (FDI)
infiltration only up to a certain depth. Above this depth,
the vertical distribution of the fine sediment volume can
be described by an exponential distribution, whereby the
proportion of fine sediment is greatest at the surface of
the bed and decreases exponentially downward.
• du/Du > 0.32: Fine surface sealing (FSS)no fine
sediment infiltration and fine sediments are deposited on
the surface of the bed without infiltrating significantly.
du is, hereinafter, referred to as dMP and Du as dGS. The
experiments conducted in this study provide ratios of dMP/dGS
between 0.07 and 3.33. Thus, all processes mentioned above
are supposed to occur. Still, the infiltration of MP particles into
the GS packings was exclusively a bridging process, which
might be due to the particles’ hydrophobicity,42 the interaction
between MP particles and GS, or other still unknown factors
influencing the infiltration behavior. A total of 210 MP−GS
combinations were investigated in the experiments. No
detailed analysis will be carried out in the following for the
10 tire abrasion-GS combinations, since only the maximum
infiltration depth was determined for them due to the small
particle size. 7 MP−GS combinations have ratios < 0.11, 64
combinations have ratios 0.11 < dMP/dGS < 0.32, and 129
combinations have ratios above 0.32. A more detailed
presentation of the infiltration depths (cf. Figure 4) shows
that the application of the ranges from fine sediment
infiltration is suitable. In Figure 4 the accumulated depth
distribution of the different MP−GS combinations is divided
according to their dMP/dGS ratio. The ranges from fine
sediment filtration, according to Schruff,15 were applied.
It becomes clear that MP particles with dMP/dGS < 0.11
infiltrate much deeper than particles in MP−GS combinations
with 0.11 < dMP/dGS < 0.32 and with dMP/dGS > 0.32. An
examination of all test results with dMP/dGS > 0.32 shows that
in 62 of the 129 MP−GS combinations, MP particles did not
infiltrate at all, and in 55 of the 129 MP−GS combinations, the
particles penetrated only the upper 2 cm. Thus, the
applicability of the principles from fine sediment filtration
seems to be given. Figure 4. Relative accumulative distribution of MP particles in the
A consideration of the average values of the maximum different soil (glass sphere) layers subdivided according to the three
infiltration depths of all particles shows the following: ranges from fine sediment infiltration.15

• Average max: infiltration depth for dMP/dGS < 0.11:

13.14 cm.
• Average max: infiltration depth for 0.11 < dMP/dGS <
0.32: 4.63 cm.
• Average max: infiltration depth for dMP/dGS > 0.32: 1.18
cm.
When transferring the ranges from fine sediment infiltration
to natural sediments-MP combinations, a matrix can be
conducted that illustrates the results (Figure 5).
In this matrix, currently used definitions for MP size are
applied, thus ranging from 100 nm to 5 mm. It becomes clear
that all ranges for dMP/dsediment occur in nature. The matrix
gives an indication of whether MP particles with specific
diameters are able to infiltrate the natural sediment (dMP/
dsediment < 0.11) or are deposited on its surface (dMP/dsediment >
0.32). It is only useful to specify depth-variable concentrations
for MP-sediment combinations with dMP/dsediment < 0.32. Thus,
depending on the lower identification limit of MP (for
example, 300 μm), the matrix can determine in which
9371
sediment-type sampling using depth profiles is still useful
(for dMP > 300 μm sediment with diameters above medium
sand should be sampled). Additionally, the matrix can be used
after sampling to determine a reasonable lower identification
limit of the MP.
General Discussion. It should be emphasized that further
investigations of the infiltration behavior are absolutely
necessary to improve and validate the statements on the
infiltration behavior of MP. The transferability of the GS
experiments to natural sediment as well as time-dependent
infiltration have to be investigated. In addition, the influence of
a horizontal flow, as it occurs in river beds, should be
determined. Especially in regions with coarse sediment,
turbulences can be present in the benthic zone, which might
reduce MP infiltration. The depth at which MP is detected in
environmental sediment also depends on the erosion and
deposition of sediment as well as on biological factors such as
bioturbation. Accordingly, when considering the infiltration
behavior of MP in streambed sediments, the physical,
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Figure 5. MP-natural sediment combinations in combination with the different areas of fine sediment filtration. Classification of sediment
according to DIN EN ISO 14688-1.44
biological, and chemical parameters, according to Schälchli,18
should be considered in the future, as they might have a great
influence on the infiltration behavior. Still, this study provides
initial indications of reasonable sampling depths and has
highlighted why it is essential to indicate the sediment grain
size distribution during sampling.
■
ASSOCIATED CONTENT
*
sı Supporting Information
The Supporting Information is available free of charge at
https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.est.0c01722.
Used glass sphere packings, microplastic composition for
the experiments, the measurement of the flow volume of
the apparatus, porosities of the different glass sphere
packings, multiple linear regressions, comparison of
ratios of the infiltration depth to glass sphere diameter,
and results of the experiments (PDF)
■
AUTHOR INFORMATION
Corresponding Author
Kryss Waldschläger − Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and
Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University,
52056 Aachen, Germany; orcid.org/0000-0002-4120-
0733; Phone: +49 (0) 241 80 25752;
Email: waldschlaeger@iww.rwth-aachen.de; Fax: +49 (0)
241 80 25750
Author
Holger Schüttrumpf − Institute of Hydraulic Engineering and
Water Resources Management, RWTH Aachen University,
52056 Aachen, Germany
Complete contact information is available at:
https://pubs.acs.org/10.1021/acs.est.0c01722
Funding
K.W. gratefully acknowledges the funding of DBU.
Notes
The authors declare no competing financial interest.
■
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