Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Study of Microplastic Particles in a Fissure–Karst Aquifer, Zvenigorod, Russia

Researchers analyzed groundwater from a karst aquifer near Moscow and found microplastic particles at a concentration of 2 particles per liter, identifying fragments, microfibers, and films made of polyethylene, polyurethane, polycarbonate, and polyimide. The study also detected natural polymers like cellulose, underlining the challenge of distinguishing synthetic from biogenic particles. This work adds to a small but growing body of evidence that microplastics are reaching underground drinking water sources, raising questions about human exposure via groundwater.

2025 Water Resources 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles in karst and alluvial aquifers

Researchers studied microplastic particle occurrence and distribution in karst and alluvial aquifer systems, investigating how these subsurface environments serve as sinks or conduits for plastic pollution. The study contributed data on groundwater microplastic contamination in geologically distinct aquifer types.

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

Microplastic particles in karst and alluvial aquifers

Researchers investigated the occurrence and characteristics of microplastic particles in both karst and alluvial aquifer systems, examining how plastic particles migrate through these distinct subsurface geological environments. The study addressed a significant knowledge gap regarding groundwater contamination by microplastics in aquifers that differ in their hydrogeological properties and filtration capacity.

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

Microplastic pollution in vulnerable karst environments: case study from the Slovenian classical karst region

Researchers sampled karst springs, caves, and other habitats in Slovenia's classical karst region and detected microplastics across multiple sites, including springs used for drinking water, raising concerns about plastic contamination of these ecologically sensitive and hydrologically connected underground environments.

2022 Acta Carsologica 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution characteristics and migration of microplastics in surface water, groundwater and sediment in karst areas: The case of Yulong River in Guilin, Southwest China

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in surface water, sediment, and groundwater in the karst landscape of the Yulong River in Guilin, China. They found microplastic pollution across all water compartments, with living areas showing the highest contamination and tourism-related disposable plastics identified as a primary source. The study suggests that microplastics reach groundwater through hydraulic exchange with surface water in karst areas rather than through soil infiltration.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary Study on the Distribution, Source, and Ecological Risk of Typical Microplastics in Karst Groundwater in Guizhou Province, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in karst groundwater across Guizhou Province, China, finding concentrations ranging from about 2 to 10 particles per liter. The dominant types were polystyrene and polyethylene, primarily in film and fiber forms. The study found that rainfall events significantly increased microplastic abundance and movement in karst groundwater, and that most sampling sites showed low ecological risk under normal conditions.

2022 International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution in the Groundwater of Three Land Use Types, Southeastern Hungary

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in groundwater across three land use types in southeastern Hungary, providing data on the rate and distribution of microplastic contamination in a freshwater resource that has received far less study than surface water bodies.

2025 Sokoto Journal of Geographical Studies
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in groundwater: Case study - Slovenia

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in Slovenian groundwater, which supplies drinking water to 98% of the population, characterizing MP occurrence, transport, and risk across multiple aquifer systems affected by urban, industrial, and agricultural activities.

2024
Article Tier 2

Seasonal dynamics and typology of microplastic pollution in Huixian karst wetland groundwater: Implications for ecosystem health

Researchers tracked microplastic levels in groundwater beneath a karst wetland in China across seasons, finding contamination ranging from about 1 to 49 particles per liter. The unique cave-and-underground-river geology of karst regions allows microplastics to migrate from the surface into groundwater more easily than in other terrains, with agricultural runoff and domestic wastewater identified as the main pollution sources.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in karstic systems: a review of sources, transport paths and storage

This repository contains geospatial data and bibliographic records supporting a review of microplastic pollution in karst (limestone cave and sinkhole) systems, mapping where microplastics have been detected across these ecologically important groundwater environments. Karst systems supply drinking water to roughly a quarter of the world's population, making microplastic contamination there a significant but understudied human health concern.

2026 Open MIND
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Karst Groundwater Systems

Springs and wells from two karst aquifers in Illinois were found to contain microplastics exclusively as fibers (up to 15.2 particles/L), with their presence correlated with phosphate, chloride, and triclosan, suggesting septic effluent as the source. The study demonstrates that karst groundwater systems used for drinking water are vulnerable to microplastic contamination infiltrating through their open, conduit-dominated architecture.

2019 Ground Water 479 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in groundwater of a drinking-water source area, northern China

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in shallow groundwater from a major drinking-water source area in northern China. The study found microplastics present in groundwater samples, with their abundance, morphology, and chemical composition varying across the study area and correlating with nearby human activities.

2022 Environmental Research 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in groundwater: a global analysis

Researchers conducted a global groundwater sampling study to characterize microplastic contamination in aquifer systems worldwide, investigating transport mechanisms and fate of particles in anoxic subsurface environments where knowledge gaps remain despite extensive research on surface water systems.

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

Distribution and Abundance of Microplastics in Underground Rivers in the South Malang Karst Area: First Evidence in Indonesia

Researchers documented microplastic contamination in underground rivers within a karst limestone region of South Malang, Indonesia, providing the first evidence of such pollution in the country's groundwater systems. They detected microplastics in all water samples, with fibers being the dominant type. The findings challenge the assumption that karst rock formations act as natural filters, suggesting that surface plastic pollution can penetrate into underground water sources.

2024 JURNAL KESEHATAN LINGKUNGAN 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Contaminación por microplásticos en el acuífero kárstico de la península de Yucatán

Researchers sampled water from cenotes and wells throughout the Yucatan karst aquifer and identified microplastic particles in every groundwater sample, with fibers comprising 94% of particles and concentrations ranging from 10 to 936 particles per liter, establishing that this primary regional drinking water source is universally contaminated with microplastics.

2022 Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Preliminary investigations of microplastic pollution in karst systems, from surface watercourses to cave waters

This study collected water samples from surface streams and connected cave waters in a karst system in Italy to document microplastic pollution in groundwater-linked environments. Microplastics including fibers and fragments were detected throughout the karst system, demonstrating that plastics infiltrate even protected underground aquifers.

2022 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 62 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overview of Microplastic Contamination in Groundwater: Sources, Transport Pathways, and Environmental Implications

This review examined microplastic contamination in groundwater systems, an area that has received less research attention compared to surface water. Researchers identified key sources and transport pathways for microplastics entering groundwater, including infiltration through soil and fractured rock, and highlighted the environmental implications for drinking water supplies.

2025 Journal of Geography Environment and Earth Science International 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Slovenia's groundwater.

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in Slovenia's groundwater, examining how microplastics from urban, agricultural, and industrial activities enter and distribute through subsurface water systems in a country where groundwater supplies approximately 98% of drinking water.

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

Microplastic pollution calls for urgent investigations in stygobiont habitats: A case study from Classical karst

Researchers examined microplastic pollution in karst cave systems in the Classical Karst region, finding that these underground habitats harbor significant contamination. The study suggests that vulnerable cave-dwelling species may be consuming microplastics, which could undermine conservation efforts for protected groundwater ecosystems and the species that depend on them.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in Slovenia's groundwater.

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in Slovenia's groundwater, documenting contamination pathways from urban, agricultural, and industrial activities and assessing the extent to which synthetic particles have infiltrated subsurface drinking water sources in a country where groundwater supplies approximately 98% of drinking water.

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

(Micro-)Plastics in Saturated and Unsaturated Groundwater Bodies: First Evidence of Presence in Groundwater Fauna and Habitats

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in three Italian groundwater systems, including karst caves and an alluvial aquifer, providing early evidence that microplastics are present in underground water habitats. The study also found that groundwater-dwelling invertebrates had ingested microplastic particles, raising concerns about pollution impacts on these fragile and largely unstudied ecosystems.

2024 Sustainability 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of Current Issues and Management Strategies of Microplastics in Groundwater Environments

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic contamination in groundwater, identifying it as a substantially understudied environment compared to surface water and marine systems. The authors describe pathways by which microplastics enter aquifers and discuss management strategies for this largely invisible contamination route.

2022 Water 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Extensive abundances and characteristics of microplastic pollution in the karst hyporheic zones of urban rivers

Researchers found high microplastic abundances — averaging 2,273 items per kilogram — in river sediments across ten karst cities in southwest China, with polyamide the dominant polymer, highlighting the elevated pollution risk in karst ecosystems where contaminants travel long distances underground.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Napo Karst Formation vulnerability in the Western Amazon River Basin

This study mapped the vulnerability of a karst aquifer in the western Amazon basin to contamination from surface activities. Karst aquifers are highly susceptible to contamination including from microplastics, which can rapidly enter groundwater through sinkholes and fractures.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations