Dataset on settling dynamics of microplastic particles sinking through exopolymer-induced rheological stratification

This dataset includes (1) measurements of the settling dynamics of plastic spheres, disks, and rods (made of POM and PET) with dimensions smaller than 5 mm, representing microplastics (MPs). These measurements were conducted using a two-layer liquid column: a Newtonian artificial seawater (AS) layer and a non-Newtonian xanthan gum (XG) dispersion in AS, which creates a rheological transition between the two layers. (2) The dataset also contains rheological characteristics (flow and viscoelastic properties) of XG dispersions in AS. The dataset comprises nine experiments in total: six experiments with the XG-containing layer overlaid by the AS layer, and three with the AS layer overlaid by XG-containing layer. The sinking dynamics of the MPs were investigated in a settling column using visualization and Particle Tracking Velocimetry (PTV) methods to track the position of the particle centroids over time.