Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Research on the Migration and Transformation Behavior of Microplastics in Groundwater Systems and Their Ecological Health Risks

Using column experiments, field monitoring, and adsorption studies, researchers found that polyethylene microplastics smaller than 50 micrometers can penetrate clay barriers and migrate deep into groundwater, posing significant ecological risks to aquatic invertebrates.

2025 Springer Link (Chiba Institute of Technology)
Article Tier 2

Effects of co-present mineral colloids on the transport of microplastics in porous media: The key role of hydrochemical and hydrodynamic conditions

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) move through soil and sand when mixed with natural clay particles. They found that the combination of different clay types and water conditions can either help microplastics travel further underground or trap them in place. This research helps us better understand how microplastics might contaminate groundwater sources that provide our drinking water.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Exploring the vertical transport of microplastics in subsurface environments: Lab-scale experiments and field evidence

Researchers investigated how microplastics move downward through soil using laboratory column experiments and field sampling of groundwater. They found that heavier rainfall, smaller particle size, and fiber-shaped microplastics all increased vertical transport through unsaturated soil. Field samples confirmed the presence of microplastics in both soil layers and groundwater, suggesting that surface plastic pollution can migrate into underground water supplies.

2023 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

The Effect of Polymer Type and Particle Concentration on Microplastic Transport Mechanisms in Saturated Porous Media

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through soil and groundwater by testing different types of plastics at various concentrations. They found that the amount and type of plastic affects how far these particles travel underground, and that bacteria growing on the plastic surfaces can change how they move through soil. This research helps us better understand how microplastics might contaminate our drinking water sources and food supply.

2026
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigation on effects of size, polymer type, and surface behaviour on the vertical mobility of microplastics in a porous media

Laboratory sand column experiments investigated how microplastic size, polymer type, and surface chemistry influence retention and transport behavior in subsurface environments. Results showed that smaller particles and those with surface modifications traveled farther, informing predictions of microplastic migration in soils and groundwater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 69 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Experimental and simulated microplastics transport in saturated natural sediments: Impact of grain size and particle size

Researchers tested how microplastics of different sizes move through natural soil and sediment layers, finding that smaller particles (10-20 micrometers) passed through easily while larger ones got trapped. In gravel, over 85% of the smallest microplastics made it through the sediment column. This means microplastics on the land surface can gradually leach down into underground aquifers that supply drinking water, representing a potential route of human exposure.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental and mathematical investigation of cotransport of clay and microplastics in saturated porous media

This study investigated how microplastics travel through underground soil and sand, finding that clay particles in the soil can actually help microplastics move farther by changing how they interact with soil surfaces. The research developed a mathematical model to predict this movement. Understanding how microplastics travel through soil is important because it affects whether they reach and contaminate groundwater used for drinking.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical migration of microplastics in porous media: Multiple controlling factors under wet-dry cycling

Researchers studied how microplastics move vertically through sandy soil during cycles of wetting and drying, testing four common plastic types at various particle sizes. They found that smaller, more hydrophobic particles migrated deeper, and that frequent wet-dry cycles and the presence of dissolved organic matter accelerated downward movement. The findings suggest that microplastics in agricultural soils could potentially reach groundwater, posing risks to underground water quality.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 161 citations
Article Tier 2

One-Dimensional Experimental Investigation of Polyethylene Microplastic Transport in a Homogeneous Saturated Medium

Researchers conducted one-dimensional column experiments to characterize the transport of polyethylene microplastics through saturated homogeneous granular media, using fluorescent tracers and inverse modeling to calculate hydrodynamic transport parameters and identify media characteristics that influence microplastic mobility in groundwater.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of micron-sized polyethylene particles in confined aquifer: Effects of size, aging, and confining pressure

Researchers investigated the transport of irregularly shaped polyethylene microplastics through sand-packed columns, finding that smaller particles (22-37 um) were generally more mobile than larger ones (44-74 um), while aging reduced hydrophobicity and affected transport behavior under varying confining pressures. The study highlights that size, weathering state, and pore pressure together control how microplastics migrate through confined aquifer systems.

2023 Heliyon 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics/nanoplastics in porous media: Key factors controlling their transport and retention behaviors

This review examines what controls how microplastics and nanoplastics move through soil and other porous materials like sand and sediment. Factors like particle size, shape, surface charge, water flow speed, and the presence of other pollutants all influence whether plastics stay in place or travel deeper into groundwater. Understanding these transport behaviors is important for assessing the risk of microplastics contaminating underground drinking water sources.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of particle density on the mobility of microplastics in sediments

This study investigates how the density of microplastic particles affects their mobility through soil and potential to reach groundwater, using column experiments with polyethylene particles of different densities. Particle density was found to influence transport behavior, with implications for understanding how microplastics migrate through terrestrial environments.

BOK:ePub (Universitätsbibliothek der Universität f Bodenkultur Wien)
Article Tier 2

Micro- and nanoplastics retention in porous media exhibits different dependence on grain surface roughness and clay coating with particle size

Researchers found that grain surface roughness and clay coatings affect the retention of microplastics and nanoplastics in porous media differently depending on particle size, with nanoplastics behaving oppositely to microplastics in certain soil conditions — complicating predictions of plastic transport in groundwater systems.

2022 Water Research 38 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Research on the Migration and Adsorption Mechanism Applied to Microplastics in Porous Media: A Review

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics move through soil, sediment, and rock. Understanding how these tiny particles travel through the ground is important because it affects whether they reach our drinking water sources. The review found that particle size, shape, and environmental conditions all influence how far microplastics can spread underground.

2024 Nanomaterials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of physicochemical factors on transport and retention of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in homogeneous and heterogeneous saturated porous media

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics move through different types of underground soil and sand formations. They found that smaller sand grains, higher salt concentrations, and the presence of calcium ions all increased microplastic retention, while mixed soil layers created preferential flow paths that allowed some particles to break through faster. The findings help explain how microplastics could potentially contaminate groundwater aquifers.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of Microplastics Through Porous Media: Influence of Porosity and Pore-Water Velocity

Researchers investigated microplastic transport through porous media under varying porosity and pore-water velocity conditions relevant to groundwater systems. Higher pore-water velocities increased microplastic transport distance, while lower porosity soils retained more particles near the surface, providing experimental data to improve models predicting microplastic migration toward drinking water aquifers.

2025
Article Tier 2

How soil moisture and flow regime drive microplastic transport in the vadose zone: insight from modelling and column experiments

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through soil toward underground water sources that we use for drinking water. They found that plastic particles travel very differently depending on how wet or dry the soil is - sometimes getting trapped, other times moving quickly through the ground. This research helps us better understand how microplastics might contaminate our groundwater supplies, which is important for protecting drinking water quality.

2026
Article Tier 2

Transport and retention of polyethylene microplastics in saturated porous media: Effect of physicochemical properties

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics move through water-saturated sand and gravel, testing the effects of particle size, water chemistry, and flow speed. They found that smaller microplastics traveled farther through the porous material, while higher salt concentrations and lower flow rates increased particle retention. The findings help explain how microplastics may spread through groundwater systems under real-world conditions.

2025 Environmental Pollution and Management 2 citations