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Distribution and transport of microplastics in groundwater (Shiraz aquifer, southwest Iran)

Water Research 2022 84 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Atefeh Esfandiari, Atefeh Esfandiari, Atefeh Esfandiari, Atefeh Esfandiari, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Ahmad Behrouj Peely, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Dariush Mowla, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Dariush Mowla, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, Mohammad Ali Ghanbarian, Mohammad Ali Ghanbarian, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Atefeh Esfandiari, Atefeh Esfandiari, Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Andrew Turner Atefeh Esfandiari, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Atefeh Esfandiari, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Atefeh Esfandiari, Patryk Oleszczuk, Atefeh Esfandiari, Patryk Oleszczuk, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner

Summary

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in groundwater from an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region of Iran. They identified microplastics in all sampled wells, with fibers and fragments being the most common shapes and polyethylene the dominant polymer type. The study demonstrates that groundwater, an important source of drinking water, is not immune to microplastic contamination and calls for more research on transport mechanisms in subsurface environments.

Polymers
PE PET PS

Despite the significance of groundwater to the hydrological cycle and as a source of potable water, very little information exists on microplastics (MPs) in this environment. In the present study, MPs have been determined in ten well samples obtained from an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region (Shiraz, Iran) following filtration, digestion and inspection under a binocular microscope. A total of 96 MPs were identified, and concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 1.3 MP L (mean and median = 0.48 and 0.43 MP L, respectively) and exhibited a complex distribution across the area that reflected differences in land use and local hydrology and geology. The majority of MPs (about 70%) were fibres of ≤ 500 μm in length, but fragments and films were present at some sites, and the dominant polymers were polystyrene, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. Coupling meteorological and water table monitoring data from the regional water organization and published information on aquifer hydrology, we estimate a lag time from precipitation to water table intrusion of between one and five months and groundwater velocity flows of between 0.01 and 0.07 m d. Although the extent of retardation of MPs within the pores of groundwater is unknown, by considering empirical data and theoretical predictions on particle flow through porous media in the literature we surmise that MP residence times in the aquifer are likely to range from years to decades, thereby impeding any clear means of source identification. Nevertheless, and more generally, the consumption of potable groundwater may make to a contribution to MP exposure through ingestion.

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