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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Investigating Microplastic Particle Transport in Soils using Micro-CT Senior Project
ClearEffects of microplastics on the porosity and connectivity with different soil textures: Based on CT scanning
This study used computed tomography and 3D visualization to analyze how microplastics alter pore structure and connectivity in sandy, sandy loam, and loam soils. Microplastic contamination disrupted soil pore architecture, which can affect water movement, root growth, and the ability of soil microbes to break down organic matter — all critical for agricultural productivity.
Effects of microplastics on the pore structure and connectivity with different soil textures: Based on CT scanning
Using CT scanning, researchers found that microplastics significantly disrupt soil pore structure, with sandy soils losing up to 89% of their porosity at higher contamination levels. While not directly about human health, degraded soil structure can reduce agricultural productivity and alter how water and contaminants move through soil toward food crops and groundwater.
Evaluating factors influencing microplastic mobility in sediments through visualization and experiments
Researchers used micro-CT imaging to visualize three-dimensional transport pathways of microplastics through gravel and sand sediments relevant to riverbank filtration, finding that smaller sediment pore sizes restrict microplastic mobility and that particle properties such as shape, size, and polymer density influence infiltration depth.
Evaluating factors influencing microplastic mobility in sediments through visualization and experiments
Researchers used micro-CT imaging to visualize three-dimensional transport pathways of microplastics through gravel and sand sediments relevant to riverbank filtration, finding that smaller sediment pore sizes restrict microplastic mobility and that particle properties such as shape, size, and polymer density influence infiltration depth.
Distribution and dynamics of microplastics in soils
This doctoral research mapped how microplastics are distributed and transported through soils, examining how soil properties like texture and organic matter influence their accumulation, breakdown, and mobility into groundwater. Because soils are both a major sink and a transfer medium for microplastics, this work helps build the foundation needed for assessing contamination risks to agriculture and drinking water.
Interaction of unsaturated water flow and microplastic transport in a sandy soil imaged with neutron and X-ray CT
Researchers used simultaneous neutron and X-ray computed tomography to image PET microplastic (20-75 µm) transport through sandy soil during unsaturated wetting-drying cycles, finding that higher MP content increased soil water repellency and created preferential flow paths that bypassed MP-rich zones, limiting the influence of water flow on MP transport.
Processes controlling the transportation of microplastics in agricultural soils
Researchers investigated the physical processes controlling microplastic transport through agricultural soils, examining how soil structure, water flow, bioturbation, and particle properties interact to move microplastics from surface application sites deeper into the soil profile or laterally toward aquatic systems. The study addressed the dual role of agricultural soils as both sinks and potential sources of microplastic pollution to surrounding environments.
Microplastic Detectability Investigation in Soils Using X‐Ray Microtomography
Researchers evaluated X-ray microtomography (microCT) for non-destructive 3D detection of microplastic fragments (PET, PEHD, PS, PP) in soils, achieving strong agreement between microCT and manual measurements (R² = 0.94-0.96) and demonstrating the method's capacity to differentiate polymer types via gray-level intensity differences.
Microplastics transport in soils: A critical review
Researchers reviewed how microplastics move through soil, finding that their transport depends on a complex mix of particle properties, soil chemistry, water flow, and biological activity — and that these factors often interact in ways that produce contradictory results across studies. The review maps these knowledge gaps and calls for more controlled experiments to predict where microplastics accumulate and how they might reach groundwater or crops.
Behaviour and transport of microplastics under saturated flow conditions in sediments and soils
Researchers investigated the behavior and transport of microplastics under saturated flow conditions in sediments and soils, examining how physical and chemical properties of microplastic particles influence their mobility through porous geological media. The study addressed knowledge gaps in understanding subsurface microplastic transport relevant to groundwater contamination and the fate of microplastics deposited in terrestrial environments.
Migration and accumulation of microplastics in soil-plant systems mediated by symbiotic microorganisms and their ecological effects
This study found that beneficial soil fungi (mycorrhizal fungi) actually accelerate the uptake of smaller microplastics by plant roots while slowing the uptake of larger ones. The microplastics disrupted the symbiotic relationship between the fungi and plants, reducing plant nutrient absorption and growth, which matters because crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soil may be less nutritious.
Behaviour and transport of microplastics under saturated flow conditions in sediments and soils
Researchers investigated the behaviour and transport of microplastics under saturated flow conditions in sediments and soils, examining how particle properties influence movement through porous media. The study aimed to improve understanding of subsurface microplastic fate and transport relevant to both soil and groundwater contamination.
Effects of microplastic types and shapes on the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in different soil types
Researchers examined how different types and shapes of microplastics affect arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities across various soil types. The study found that microplastics alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that disrupt these beneficial fungi, which play crucial roles in nutrient exchange, soil stability, and water movement.
Microplastic contamination in soil environment – a review
This review examines the sources, transport, degradation, and ecological impacts of microplastic contamination in soil environments. The study suggests that soil acts as both a major sink for microplastics and a conduit transporting them to aquatic systems, and that microplastics can negatively affect soil organisms and biogeochemistry, underscoring the need for more research on terrestrial microplastic pollution.
Non-invasive 3D analysis of microplastic particles in sandy soil — Exploring feasible options and capabilities
This study explored the feasibility of non-invasive 3D X-ray computed tomography for analyzing microplastic particles in intact sandy soil samples, finding that while the technique can locate particles, distinguishing MP from soil minerals requires further methodological development.
Nanoplastic-fungal interaction across different laboratory scales: Implications for transport in subsurface environments
This study examined how nanoplastics interact with fungi across different laboratory scales, focusing on the implications for how nanoplastics move through subsurface (underground) environments. Understanding fungal transport of nanoplastics is important because soil fungi form vast networks that could either trap or spread plastic particles through the ground and into groundwater.
Recent advances on ecological effects of microplastics on soil environment
This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the ecological effects of microplastics on soil environments. Researchers found that soils serve as major sinks for microplastics, which can alter soil properties, affect plant growth, disrupt soil microbial communities, and interact with other pollutants. The study highlights that terrestrial microplastic pollution may be even more pervasive than aquatic contamination and warrants greater research attention.
Nanoplastic-fungal interaction across different laboratory scales: Implications for transport in subsurface environments
This study examined how nanoplastics interact with fungi across different laboratory scales, focusing on the implications for how nanoplastics move through subsurface (underground) environments. Understanding fungal transport of nanoplastics is important because soil fungi form vast networks that could either trap or spread plastic particles through the ground and into groundwater.
Microplastics in terrestrial environments: Reviewing current understanding to determine the positive and negative aspects of soil
This review examines microplastics in terrestrial soils, covering their sources, distribution, and effects on soil health and organisms. It finds both negative impacts on soil function and organisms, as well as some neutral or context-dependent effects, and identifies key areas for future research.
Transport and retention patterns of fragmental microplastics in saturated and unsaturated porous media: A real-time pore-scale visualization
Real-time pore-scale visualization using a microscope-coupled flow cell was used to track how fragmented microplastics move and deposit in saturated and unsaturated porous media, revealing distinct transport and retention patterns depending on water saturation conditions. The findings improve mechanistic understanding of how microplastics migrate through soils toward groundwater.
Effects of microplastics on the hydraulic properties and pore characteristics of compacted soil
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the hydraulic properties and pore structure of compacted soil, finding that higher microplastic concentrations disrupted pore size distribution and reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity while altering water retention capacity.
Microplastic effects on carbon cycling processes in soils
Researchers reviewed how microplastics affect carbon cycling processes in soils, including their influence on microbial activity, plant growth, and litter decomposition. Since microplastics are themselves carbon-based materials, they can directly alter soil carbon stocks while also indirectly shifting microbial communities. The study calls for a major research effort to understand the widespread effects of microplastics on soil functioning and terrestrial ecosystem health.
Disentangling microplastics effects on soil structure, microbial activity and greenhouse gas emissions
Researchers studied how microplastics affect soil structure, microbial activity, and greenhouse gas emissions, finding complex interactions that depend on microplastic type and concentration. The presence of microplastics in soils can alter the biological processes that regulate carbon storage and nutrient cycling.
Microplastics in soils: A review of methods, occurrence, fate, transport, ecological and environmental risks
This review examines the sources, detection methods, and environmental behavior of microplastics in soils, an area that has received far less attention than marine microplastic pollution. Researchers found that microplastics interact with soil properties and organisms in complex ways, potentially entering the human food chain. The study calls for standardized methods and more research into how these tiny plastic particles move through and affect terrestrial ecosystems.