A universal scaling law for suspended particle transport in heterogeneous fractures, with focus on micro- and nanoplastics

Summary

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles, like the micro- and nanoplastics found in water sources, move through cracks in rock, which matters because these cracks can act as pathways into groundwater we eventually drink. They discovered a consistent mathematical pattern that predicts how much plastic gets through versus trapped, based on the size and shape of the rock cracks and the plastic particles themselves. This kind of predictive tool could eventually help experts better assess how microplastics contaminate drinking water supplies underground.