Microplastics behave differently in aquatic environments depending on whether they are fragments or fibers

Researchers led by Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1357 Microplastics at the University of Bayreuth have overturned a common scientific assumption in a new study: Microplastic particles do not all exhibit similar transport behavior regardless of their shape. Instead, microplastics behave differently in aquatic environments depending on whether they occur as fragments or fibers. This insight reshapes our understanding of how strongly organisms are exposed to microplastics—an assessment that is crucial for evaluating the environmental risks posed by microplastic pollution.