Both microplastic particles and bioparticles belong to a class of particles that is characterized by its small density difference to the surrounding fluid. As a consequence, such particles sediment with a low particle Reynolds number. We demonstrated and classified a variety of inertial and elastohydrodynamic effects that take place during the sedimentation of such particles. These effects include for example an attraction of the particles to a wall or an acceleration-deceleration behavior, which make the sedimentation behavior differ significantly from the straight fall of a classic „heavy“ particle. Our results have been published in the European Physical Journal E as a part of the special collection on „Microplastics Pollution in Environmental Flows“.
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