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Environmental Sources
Marine & Wildlife
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Rainfall-induced lateral and vertical microplastic transport of varying sizes in agricultural fields
Environmental Science Processes & Impacts2025
4 citations
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Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Score: 48
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0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Emilee Severe,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
David Zumr,
Saunak Sinha Ray,
Saunak Sinha Ray,
Saunak Sinha Ray,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Christian Zafiu,
Christian Zafiu,
Christian Zafiu,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Emilee Severe,
Emilee Severe,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Emilee Severe,
Wang Li,
Emilee Severe,
Wang Li,
Peter Fiener,
Emilee Severe,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Florian Wilken,
Florian Wilken,
Florian Wilken,
Wang Li,
Wang Li,
Christian Zafiu,
Christian Zafiu,
Ben Surridge,
Ben Surridge,
Ben Surridge,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Ahsan Maqbool,
José A. Gómez,
Saunak Sinha Ray,
Saunak Sinha Ray,
David Zumr,
David Zumr,
David Zumr,
Ahsan Maqbool,
Wang Li,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Wang Li,
Florian Wilken,
John Quinton,
Tomáš Dostál,
Peter Fiener,
Christian Zafiu,
Wang Li,
Emilee Severe,
José A. Gómez,
Christian Zafiu,
Christian Zafiu,
Christian Zafiu,
Peter Fiener,
Christian Zafiu,
Tomáš Dostál,
José A. Gómez,
Christine Stumpp
Peter Fiener,
Christian Zafiu,
Peter Fiener,
David Zumr,
Florian Wilken,
Tomáš Dostál,
Florian Wilken,
David Zumr,
Christine Stumpp
Christine Stumpp
Christine Stumpp
Florian Wilken,
Wang Li,
Emilee Severe,
Peter Fiener,
Florian Wilken,
Christian Zafiu,
Christian Zafiu,
Tomáš Dostál,
Tomáš Dostál,
Christian Zafiu,
José A. Gómez,
Ben Surridge,
Christine Stumpp
José A. Gómez,
Christine Stumpp
Peter Fiener,
Josef Krása,
José A. Gómez,
José A. Gómez,
John Quinton,
John Quinton,
John Quinton,
Ben Surridge,
Christian Zafiu,
Florian Wilken,
John Quinton,
Josef Krása,
John Quinton,
John Quinton,
Florian Wilken,
Ben Surridge,
Ben Surridge,
Peter Fiener,
Peter Fiener,
Ahsan Maqbool,
John Quinton,
Christine Stumpp
Christine Stumpp
Ahsan Maqbool,
José A. Gómez,
Christian Zafiu,
John Quinton,
Emilee Severe,
Christian Zafiu,
Wang Li,
David Zumr,
Ben Surridge,
Florian Wilken,
Christine Stumpp
Summary
Rainfall simulation experiments tracked polyethylene microplastics of three size ranges (53–500 µm) on agricultural soil plots, finding that smaller particles were transported farther laterally in surface runoff and penetrated deeper into soil profiles, highlighting size-dependent microplastic mobility under rainfall conditions.
Agricultural soils, particularly those utilizing plastic products for crop production, are increasingly recognized as sources of microplastics (MPs) to aquatic ecosystems. In this research, we investigate the transport of polyethylene MPs of three different size ranges (53-63 μm, 125-150 μm and 425-500 μm) in an agricultural soil during a plot-based rainfall simulation. Using a combination of fluorescent particles and high-frequency photography, we tracked the number of MPs on the soil surface throughout the rainfall simulation, measured the depth MPs migrated into the soil profile and the number of MPs which were transported in surface runoff. Our results show that MPs had dynamic movement on the soil surface throughout the rainfall simulation. Approximately 20% of MPs sized 125-150 μm and 425-500 μm were exported from the plot in surface runoff with the remaining 80% of MPs thought to be retained in the soil. No significant differences were found in the number of MPs transported in surface runoff between MPs sized 125-150 μm and 425-500 μm. Microplastics were found to be enriched in eroded sediments. Microplastics of all sizes 53-63 μm, 125-150 μm and 425-500 μm were found in soil as deep as 8 cm with the majority of MPs found in the 0-2 cm soil depth. Results from this research not only indicate that MPs are quite mobile both vertically and laterally during rainfall events but also show that soils effectively retain and accumulate a sizeable proportion of MPs during heavy rainfall events.