Behaviour and transport of microplastic in Lakes

SFB 1357 B02

From 01/2019 to 01/2023

Principal Investigator: Ben Gilfedder, Martin Obst, Jan Fleckenstein

The primary aim of subproject B02 is to understand the interaction between physical, biological and biogeochemical processes influencing microplastic (MP) transport and sedimentation in lentic environments. This includes understanding the role of water chemistry, physical properties of the water column (turbulent kinetic energy, density gradients) as well as MP properties such as size, form, density and surface chemistry on MP transport. The project also uses an experimental approach to understand how model organisms such as Daphnia and biological surface coatings (biofilms) can influence the MP transport. B02 will use a combination of laboratory settling experiments, well-defined model-field based mesocosm experiments in conjunction with computational fluid dynamic numerical modelling of MP-particles to gain a fundamental and mechanistic understanding of MP behaviour and transport in lentic ecosystems.