Calcite carbonate sinks low-density plastic debris in open oceans

The vertical settling of plastic debris in oceans is poorly understood. A large share of low-density microplastics (LDMPs) are largely absent from sea surfaces. The present study employs a model that considers the potential of an overlooked microbially induced calcium carbonate precipitation (MICP) process and new motion equations for irregular LDMPs. Here we show that the motion of LDMPs in the present model, exhibiting a damped oscillation pattern, is quite different from that in biofouling models. Furthermore, LDMPs in the size range of 10–200 µm are most likely to gain sufficient density at the biofouling/MICP stage to independently sink to the ocean floor with relatively small drag coefficients, potentially explaining the selective enrichment of LDMPs in the oceanic sediment. The size and shape exhibit strong non-linear effects on the settling patterns of LDMPs. Overall, the present study highlights the importance of calcite-mediated sinking of LDMPs in open oceans.

Xiang-Fei Sun, Yanxu Zhang, Meng-Yi Xie, Lei Mai, Eddy Y. Zeng