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How Relevant Is the Accumulated Research on Commercial Spherical Nano- and Microplastics?
Summary
A critical review asked how relevant research using commercial spherical plastic beads (a common lab standard) is to the irregularly shaped microplastics found in real environments. The analysis finds significant mismatches between lab model particles and environmental microplastics, urging more ecologically realistic experimental designs.
Transport of fragmentary nano- and microplastics in environmental porous media is an emerging research concern driven by their prevalence in environmental porous media. This brief critical review highlights opportunities for researchers to explore the relevance of accumulated knowledge from transport experiments and simulations involving commercial spherical nano- and microplastics and other colloids. Several recent publications concerning nano- and microplastic transport in porous media are examined to highlight how interpretations and conclusions could potentially change with incorporation of accumulated knowledge from their commercial spherical counterparts.