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Microplastics in Groundwater: Pathways, Occurrence, and Monitoring Challenges
Summary
This review provides a comprehensive look at how microplastics make their way into groundwater from surface water, seawater, and soil, and examines the challenges researchers face in detecting and monitoring them. The study found that a lack of standardized sampling and analysis methods makes it difficult to compare findings across different studies. Researchers emphasize the importance of understanding local geological conditions and preventing sample contamination to improve the reliability of groundwater microplastic monitoring.
Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm, are considered an emerging pollutant. Their presence in the water cycle and their interaction with ecological processes pose a significant environmental threat. As groundwater (GW) represents the primary source of drinking water, monitoring MPs in GW and investigating their potential sources and pathways is of urgent importance. This article offers a comprehensive overview of the primary contamination pathways of MPs from surface water, seawater, and soil into the GW. Moreover, it presents an examination of the occurrence of MPs in GW and identifies the challenges associated with their monitoring in GW. This study also discusses the difficulties associated with comparing research results related to MPs in GW, as well as indicating the need for implementing standardised techniques for their sampling and detection. On the basis of our experience and the literature review, we highlight the importance of understanding the specific hydrogeological and hydrogeographic conditions, collecting representative samples, using sampling devices with comparable specifications and comparable laboratory techniques for MP identification, and preventing contamination at all stages of the monitoring process. This review offers valuable insights and practical guidelines on how to improve the reliability and comparability of results between studies monitoring MPs in GW.