We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Transport of plastic particles in natural porous media under freeze–thaw treatment: Effects of porous media property
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested how freeze-thaw cycling affects the transport of nanoplastics through columns of natural soils with different textures. Freeze-thaw treatment increased nanoplastic transport through quartz sand by smoothing grain surfaces but reduced transport through loamy and sandy natural soils by creating new retention sites, demonstrating that soil type determines how freeze-thaw affects plastic mobility.
Freeze-thaw (FT) cycles would alter physical and chemical properties of soil and thus influence the transport of plastic particles (one type of emerging contaminant with great concerns). This study was designed to investigate the effects of FT treatment on the mobility of plastic particles (nanoplastics as representative) in columns packed with natural soils (i.e. loamy sand and sandy soil, quartz sand employed as comparison). We found that FT treatment of different types of porous media would induce different transport behaviors of plastic particles. Specifically, FT treatment of quartz sand did not affect plastic particles mobility. While FT treatment of loamy sand and sandy soil increased plastic particles transport. The increased pore sizes and disintegration of small soil particles from soils (the detached soil would serve as mobile vehicle for the transport of plastic particle) led to the facilitated mobility of plastic particles in two types of soils after FT treatment. The presence of preferential flow paths induced by FT treatment also drove to the enhanced mobility of plastic particles in sandy soil with FT treatment. This study clearly showed that the mobility of model plastic particles in two types of natural soils was greatly enhanced by FT treatment.
More Papers Like This
Impact of freeze-thaw cycles on the remobilization behaviors of microplastics in natural soils
AI summary Read the abstract
Freeze-thaw cycling significantly promoted the remobilization of plastic particles (0.2 and 1 µm) retained in natural soils and quartz sand during subsequent water flushing, with natural soils retaining more particles initially but showing comparable release upon thaw due to pore structure disruption.
Exposure of nanoplastics to freeze-thaw leads to aggregation and reduced transport in model groundwater environments
AI summary Read the abstract
Polystyrene nanoplastics exposed to freeze-thaw cycles showed significantly greater aggregation and reduced transport through quartz sand columns compared to nanoplastics held at constant temperature, with effects most pronounced at higher ionic strength, suggesting cold climates limit nanoplastic mobility in subsurface environments.
Transport Mechanisms of Nanoplastics in Agricultural Soils Under Snowmelt Infiltration Conditions in Cold Regions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how nanoplastics migrate with snowmelt water through three agricultural soil types (luvisol, chernozem, and albic soil) under freeze-thaw conditions, finding that chernozem showed peak nanoplastic concentrations of 25.62 mg/kg in the vertical profile and that biochar amendment modified nanoplastic transport behavior across all soil types.
Pesticide leaching in sandy and loamy soil-contrasting impact of polyethylene microplastic pollution and freeze-thaw events.
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers tested how freezing and thawing soil, and adding tiny polyethylene plastic particles, affected how 20 pesticides moved through sandy and loamy soil in lab columns. Freeze-thaw cycles made pesticides move through faster, especially in loamy soil, while the plastic particles slowed pesticide movement slightly in most cases.
Mobility of polypropylene microplastics in stormwater biofilters under freeze-thaw cycles
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers discovered that freeze-thaw cycles move deposited microplastics deeper into stormwater biofilter soil than simple drying-and-wetting cycles, because expanding ice crystals break up the soil and release trapped particles. This finding suggests that in cold climates, microplastics filtered from stormwater could migrate further underground than previously estimated.
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.