Transport behavior of polystyrene microplastics in a simulated groundwater–seawater mixing zone and its reliance on groundwater composition

Microplastic characteristics, transport, risks, and remediation in groundwater: a review

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Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in groundwater, finding concentrations up to 6,832 particles per liter from sources including landfills, agriculture, and atmospheric deposition, and reporting that membrane filtration technologies such as reverse osmosis can achieve 93–99% microplastic removal.

Review of Microplastics behavior in the Groundwater

Microplastics in multiple environmental media along a land-sea continuum: Distribution, critical source areas, and management priorities from sources to sinks

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This comprehensive study tracked microplastic distribution across surface water, groundwater, and sediments throughout the Jiulong River basin in China, identifying distinct polymer patterns by media and spatial hotspots in the lower reaches. Mapping microplastic flow from terrestrial sources through river corridors to estuaries is critical for identifying intervention points where pollution control can most effectively reduce the quantity of microplastics reaching coastal marine environments and seafood.

The Plastiverse Extends to Hydrogeologic Systems: Microplastics Are an Important Emerging Groundwater Contaminant Class

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Scientists are finding tiny plastic particles, called microplastics, in groundwater, the water stored underground that many communities rely on for drinking water. This matters because groundwater has long been considered relatively protected from surface pollution, so this research suggests we need to start paying closer attention to how these plastics get into our water supplies and what that could mean for our health down the road. More research is still needed to fully understand the risks, but this is an important first step in recognizing groundwater as another place where microplastic contamination shows up.

Tracing the Footprint of Microplastics: Transport Mechanism, Degradation, and Remediation in Marine Environment

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Researchers synthesized current knowledge on microplastic transport, degradation, and remediation in marine environments, examining how the high surface-area-to-volume ratio of these particles enables them to bind heavy metals, antibiotics, and persistent organic pollutants — amplifying their ecological impact across ocean systems.