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Vertical transport of polystyrene nanoplastics in natural soils under unsaturated conditions: influence of particle size and texture
Summary
Laboratory experiments showed that polystyrene nanoplastics can travel downward through unsaturated soils, but larger particles and clay-rich soils retain them more effectively than smaller particles in sandy soils. Understanding how nanoplastics move through soil is important for predicting whether they will reach groundwater and contaminate drinking water sources.
The infiltration of polystyrene nanoplastics under unsaturated conditions is governed by particle size and soil texture; larger particles show higher retention, while clay loam retains small particles more effectively than sandy loam.
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