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Does Microplastic Pollution in the Epikarst Environment Coincide with Rainfall Flushes and Copepod Population Dynamics?
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Researchers examined whether microplastic pollution in epikarst environments coincides with rainfall flush events and copepod population dynamics, sampling water from karst springs over time to correlate plastic particle concentrations with hydrological and ecological variables. The study found that rainfall-driven infiltration pulses influenced microplastic transport through the karst system, with potential implications for epikarst invertebrate communities.
Karst areas are characteristic landscapes formed by the dissolution of soluble rocks, whose hydrology is largely influenced by rapid infiltration through the karst massif. These areas are often hotspots of biodiversity, especially for epikarst and cave fauna. The epikarst, the uppermost layer of the unsaturated zone, plays a crucial role in regulating water flow in karst aquifers. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent of microplastic (MP) pollution, its relationship with precipitation and its correlation with copepod populations in karst areas. The study was conducted between April 2021 and October 2022 in the Postojna–Planina karst area in SW Slovenia at surface and underground sampling sites to determine the pathways of MP pollution from the surface to the depth of the karst massif. The results indicate that heavier rainfall flushes out more MP contaminants from the surface and epikarst environment. The transport dynamics of MP pollution are similar to the dynamics of copepods, which are the baseline organisms for the food chain in caves. One MP sample contained only polyamide particles, which could indicate clothing as a possible source of pollution, but the results are inconclusive. With this study, we provide the first insight into the transport of MP pollution from the surface environment to deeper karst massifs.
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Researchers used high-frequency monitoring in a karst groundwater system in southern China to track how rainfall events mobilize, transport, and store microplastics through conduit-fissure networks, revealing four distinct hydrological stages that sequentially release pre-deposited and newly infiltrated PET and PE fibers into spring water.
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This study examined how flood events affect microplastic transport through karst (limestone cave) water systems. Researchers found that floods dramatically increased both the amount and variety of microplastic particles moving through underground waterways. The findings matter because karst systems supply drinking water to about 25% of the global population, and flood-driven pulses of microplastics could contaminate these water sources.
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Researchers tracked microplastic levels in groundwater beneath a karst wetland in China across seasons, finding contamination ranging from about 1 to 49 particles per liter. The unique cave-and-underground-river geology of karst regions allows microplastics to migrate from the surface into groundwater more easily than in other terrains, with agricultural runoff and domestic wastewater identified as the main pollution sources.
Microplastic pollution in vulnerable karst environments: case study from the Slovenian classical karst region
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Researchers sampled karst springs, caves, and other habitats in Slovenia's classical karst region and detected microplastics across multiple sites, including springs used for drinking water, raising concerns about plastic contamination of these ecologically sensitive and hydrologically connected underground environments.
Spatial distribution characteristics and migration of microplastics in surface water, groundwater and sediment in karst areas: The case of Yulong River in Guilin, Southwest China
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Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in surface water, sediment, and groundwater in the karst landscape of the Yulong River in Guilin, China. They found microplastic pollution across all water compartments, with living areas showing the highest contamination and tourism-related disposable plastics identified as a primary source. The study suggests that microplastics reach groundwater through hydraulic exchange with surface water in karst areas rather than through soil infiltration.
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