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Polymer-Specific Transport of Microplastics in Amended Soils under Drip Irrigation
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This study analyzed microplastic contamination in water samples, examining the distribution, abundance, and characteristics of plastic particles in aquatic environments. The findings contribute to understanding microplastic transport and fate in water systems, with implications for environmental and public health assessment.
This investigation explores the vertical transport demeanor of polypropylene (PP) microplastics via fluvial sand soil columns under drip irrigation and common farming amendment conditions. Fluorescently labeled PP particles (35–40 µm) were implanted in the upper 2–5 cm of four 31.5-cm-deep soil columns amended with 5% by weight of nitrogen–phosphorus–potassium (NPK) fertilizer, compost, humic acid, and a control (unamended fluvial sand). Breakthrough curves (BTCs) constructed from fluorescent microscopy-based quantification (λ = 529 nm) revealed amendment-dependent transport dynamics. Gaussian fits to raw BTCs yielded high coefficients of determination (R2 = 0.991 for NPK, 0.987 for compost, 0.989 for control, and 0.985 for humic acid), confirming accurate temporal modeling. The NPK-treated column exhibited early, sharp peaks, implying strong advective transport and a faster flow. In contrast, humic acid significantly retarded particle mobility by enhancing electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions, resulting in delayed and flattened BTCs. Heatmap analysis of vertical retention further confirmed higher particle accumulation near the surface in humic-amended columns. Chemical integrity of PP particles pre- and posttransport was verified using attenuated total reflectance–Fourier transform infrared and micro-Raman spectroscopy, with characteristic peaks observed at −2,950, 1,450, and 1,050 cm−1. Field-emission scanning electron microscopy revealed an irregular surface and spherical particle morphology conducive to advective flow and potential clogging. These results indicate that soil amendments significantly influence microplastic mobility, with conceivable implications for leaching risk to groundwater. The study integrates imaging, spectroscopy, and column-scale modeling to provide mechanistic insights into microplastic fate in amended agricultural soils and highlights modification selection as a key factor in mitigating subsurface plastic defilement.
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Researchers investigated how nitrogen fertilizers and humic acid in soil affect the transport and retention of microplastic particles through porous media in laboratory column experiments. They found that both inorganic and organic nitrogen fertilizers, combined with humic substances, influenced how far microplastics migrated through simulated soil, with implications for subsurface plastic contamination.
Transport and deposition behaviors of microplastics in porous media: Co-impacts of N fertilizers and humic acid
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Inorganic and organic nitrogen fertilizers and humic acid were found to influence the transport and deposition of microplastics in porous media, with humic acid promoting microplastic mobility while ammonium chloride and urea had different effects on particle retention in soil columns.
Irrigation-facilitated low-density polyethylene microplastic vertical transport along soil profile: An empirical model developed by column experiment
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Column experiments examined how irrigation drives vertical transport of low-density polyethylene microplastics through soil profiles, and an empirical model was developed from the results. Microplastics migrated to depths beyond the plow layer under irrigation, with transport behavior depending on soil moisture content and particle size.
Migration dynamics of PE and PVC microplastics in soil: An experimental column-based investigation on the effects of drip irrigation
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Researchers conducted column experiments to track how polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics move through soil under drip irrigation conditions, examining how irrigation practices influence the depth and speed at which these plastic particles migrate. The findings have implications for understanding microplastic contamination of agricultural soils and groundwater.
Transport behavior of micro polyethylene particles in saturated quartz sand: Impacts of input concentration and physicochemical factors
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Laboratory sand column experiments showed that polyethylene microplastic transport is inhibited by high ionic strength (as it reduces the repulsion between particles and sand grains) but enhanced by fulvic acid (which increases surface charge repulsion). The study provides mechanistic data for predicting how microplastics move through soils under different environmental chemical conditions.
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