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Interception of urban surface source waste plastics by typical permeable paving materials
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When it rains, plastic litter on city streets often washes into rivers and oceans, where it breaks down into microplastics that can end up in our water and food. This study found that special "permeable" pavement materials, designed to let rainwater soak through instead of running off, can trap over 90% of that plastic debris right at the surface, as long as streets get cleaned regularly. Using these materials in city planning could be a simple but powerful way to cut off plastic pollution before it ever reaches our waterways.
Currently, research on preventing plastic pollution in aquatic environments mainly focuses on source control and end-of-pipe salvage. However, studies targeting the interruption of migration pathways remain limited. Urban surface runoff generated by rainfall is a significant pathway for plastic pollutants entering water environments. The optimal strategy to interrupt this pathway involves widely implementing permeable paving materials to eliminate surface runoff. This study evaluated the effectiveness of two novel permeable paving materials—permeable brick and permeable asphalt—in intercepting plastic pollutants by simulating precipitation processes. The results indicate that both permeable brick and permeable asphalt effectively eliminate urban surface runoff, thereby preventing urban-derived plastic pollutants from entering aquatic environments. Both materials intercept over 90% of plastic pollutants by mass, though permeable bricks exhibit a higher interception efficiency than permeable asphalt. Although complete removal of plastic pollutants is not achievable, the majority of plastic debris is captured and retained on the pavement surface. Provided that timely street cleaning is conducted, plastic pollutants accumulated on pavements can be collected through the municipal waste disposal system, preventing further environmental pollution.
More Papers Like This
Removal and fate of microplastics in permeable pavements: An experimental layer-by-layer analysis
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Researchers tested permeable pavements as a way to capture microplastics from urban stormwater runoff and found they retained 89% to over 99% of microplastic particles. The microplastics accumulated mainly on the pavement surface and in geotextile filter layers, preventing them from reaching natural waterways. This type of sustainable urban drainage could be an effective tool for reducing the amount of microplastics that wash off roads and into the water sources people depend on.
Permeable pavement blocks as a sustainable solution for managing microplastic pollution in urban stormwater
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Researchers tested whether permeable pavement, the kind of pavement that lets water drain through it, can filter out microplastics from urban stormwater runoff. They found it can trap microplastic particles effectively, suggesting permeable pavement could be a practical tool for reducing the amount of microplastics that wash into rivers and oceans from city streets.
Permeable pavement systems for microplastic mitigation: Critical insights on transport, retention, detection and removal efficiency
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This review of 28 studies finds that special "permeable pavements" — designed to let rainwater soak through instead of running off streets into rivers — can trap 89-99% of tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in the short term, which matters because these particles wash off roads and eventually make their way into waterways, soil, and potentially our food and water supply. However, scientists still don't know if these pavements keep working well over years of use, or whether the trapped plastic particles could eventually break free again, so more long-term testing is needed before we can call this a lasting solution.
Distribution of microplastics in rainfall and their control by a permeable pavement in low-impact development facility
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A low-impact development permeable pavement system in South Korea captured approximately 98% of microplastics present in rainfall runoff, with polyethylene fragments under 100 µm being the most common particle type. The study shows that green infrastructure designed for stormwater management can double as an effective barrier against microplastic entry into freshwater systems, an important finding for urban water quality planning.
Eficiencia de los pavimentos permeables para la retención de microplásticos de la escorrentía urbana
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Researchers evaluated the effectiveness of permeable pavements as sustainable urban drainage systems for retaining microplastics from urban stormwater runoff, testing their performance under controlled laboratory conditions calibrated to average rainfall patterns in Valencia, Spain. Results showed a significant reduction in microplastic particle counts in water passing through the permeable pavement layers.
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