High-speed cameras have helped scientists at TU Wien (Vienna) study the behavior of microplastic fibers in turbulent water. This research is crucial for understanding how these tiny particles spread globally and disrupting ecosystems. Microplastics are a significant problem, with thin fibers making up over half of marine life contamination.
The team used high-precision cameras to capture images of the microplastic fibers at 2,000 frames per second. They analyzed these images to track the movement, orientation, and interaction of hundreds of thousands of particles in the water flow. The results show that the fibers behave differently near walls than in the middle of the flow.
This data can now be used to validate theoretical models predicting microplastic fiber behavior. In the future, scientists hope to use this knowledge to predict large-scale propagation of microplastics and develop effective solutions for mitigating their impact.
Source: https://phys.org/news/2024-08-high-cameras-reveal-behavior-microplastics.html