James Lofty researches the behaviour, transport, and fate of microplastics and macroplastics in rivers.

His work consists of fluid dynamics experiments, including settling and rising tests, transport experiments in open-channel flumes, and field work to better understand plastic movement in rivers.

• Transport processes

• Micro- and Macro- plastic pollution
• Sediment transport
• River hydraulics
• Fluid dynamics

Lofty, J., Sorisio, G. S., Kelleher, L., Krause, S., Ouro, P., & Wilson, C. (2025). Hydrological and hydraulic drivers of microplastics in a rural river sourced from the UK’s largest opencast coal mine. Environmental Pollution, 125722. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.125722

Lofty, J., Wilson, C., & Ouro, P. (2024). Biofouling changes the settling dynamics of macroplastic plates. Communications Earth & Environment, 5(1), 750. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43247-024-01922-6

Lofty, J., Valero, D., Moreno-Rodenas, A., Belay, B. S., Wilson, C., Ouro, P., & Franca, M. J. (2024). On the vertical structure of non-buoyant plastics in turbulent transport. Water Research, 254, 121306. https://doi.org/10.1016/J.WATRES.2024.121306

Lofty, J., Valero, D., Wilson, C. A. M. E., Franca, M. J., & Ouro, P. (2023). Microplastic and natural sediment in bed load saltation: Material does not dictate the fate. Water Research, 243, 120329. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2023.120329

Lofty, J., Ouro, P., & Wilson, C. A. M. E. (2023). Microplastics in the riverine environment: Meta-analysis and quality criteria for developing robust field sampling procedures. Science of The Total Environment, 863, 160893. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.160893

Lofty, J., Muhawenimana, V., Wilson, C. A. M. E., & Ouro, P. (2022). Microplastics removal from a primary settler tank in a wastewater treatment plant and estimations of contamination onto European agricultural land via sewage sludge recycling. Environmental Pollution, 304, 119198. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2022.119198