We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Transport and retention of microplastics during riverbank filtration
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested river water, groundwater and a drinking water well near Germany's Leine River to see how microplastics move through riverbank filtration, a natural water treatment method. River water had the most microplastics, mostly tiny fibers made of PET plastic, while the extraction well had far fewer, though small fibers could still pass through the filtering soil.
Introduction Riverbank filtration (RBF) is a widely used natural water treatment process; however, the fate and attenuation of microplastics (MPs), within river–aquifer systems is not well understood. This study investigated the occurrence and characteristics of MPs within an RBF system to comprehend the MPs transport behaviour. Methods Five sampling campaigns were conducted over the course of a year. These covered rivers, groundwater wells and an abstraction well across six locations within the RBF site, which extracts water from the Leine River in Germany. MPs were collected and characterized through stereomicroscopy and chemically identified using ATR-FTIR. In this study, MPs were detected throughout the RBF system but also in groundwater without river influence during all sampling campaigns, demonstrating their continuous presence and persistence within the hydrological continuum. Results and discussion River water consistently exhibited the highest MP concentration (74.4 ± 23.5 MPs/100 L), whereas the abstraction well showed low concentration (9.4 ± 7.8 MPs/100 L), significant differences in MP concentrations were observed ( p = 0.002). MP transport and retention were strongly influenced by MP characteristics such as shape and type. Overall, fiber shapes (88.5% of all particles) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) (73.8% of total identified polymers) dominated. The prevalence of fibers suggests that their elongated morphology may enhance mobility through interconnected pore spaces. Within the collected MP size range of 20 to 5,000 μm, the most abundant class was 100–200 μm, indicating that particle size may regulate pore-scale straining. These results indicate that, despite their high density, PET fibers can pass through pore spaces and potentially bypass natural filtration barriers due to their small size. The study emphasizes that RBF is an effective spatial concentration attenuation system for reducing MP contamination in drinking water sources and highlight the importance of natural attenuation process.
More Papers Like This
Occurrence and transport of microplastics across the streambed interface during bank filtration
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers assessed microplastic occurrence and spatial distribution across surface water, riverbed sediments, and groundwater at two German lowland river sites -- the Teltow Canal and the Havel -- under bank filtration conditions, collecting monthly surface water and quarterly groundwater samples over one year alongside sediment freeze cores to 100 cm depth, analyzed by near-infrared spectroscopy.
Polymer-specific transfer and retention of microplastics at the river–sediment–groundwater interface
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how different polymer types of microplastics move through the sediment-water interface at bank filtration sites in northeastern Germany. They found that microplastic transport and retention varied significantly depending on the polymer type, with some plastics penetrating more readily into groundwater than others. The study provides evidence that river bank filtration does not fully prevent microplastic contamination of groundwater resources.
Fate of Microplastics in Deep Gravel Riverbeds: Evidence for Direct Transfer from River Water to Groundwater
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tracked microplastic particles vertically through gravel riverbeds using depth-profile sampling, finding that MPs move directly from river water into subsurface gravel sediments and onward toward groundwater, documenting a pathway for plastic particles to enter drinking water aquifers.
A method to extract microplastics from river sediments (bed, bank and floodplain)
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers developed a method for extracting microplastics from river sediments including bed, bank, and floodplain samples, adapting marine sediment protocols to handle the additional organic matter typical of freshwater environments. The method supports detailed mapping of microplastic contamination along rivers such as the Lahn in Germany, which transport plastics toward the ocean.
Polymer-specific transfer and retention of microplastics at the river–sediment–groundwater interface
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move from rivers into underground water that could become drinking water. They found that different types of plastics behave differently - some float and stay in rivers, while heavier plastics like those from bottles and pipes sink into riverbeds and can travel into groundwater supplies. This research is important because it helps us understand how microplastics might contaminate the underground water sources we rely on for drinking water.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.