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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to A review of the influence mechanisms of climate-induced events on groundwater microplastic contamination: A focus on aquifer vulnerabilities and mitigation strategies
ClearGlobal distribution, drivers, and potential hazards of microplastics in groundwater: A review
This review maps the global distribution of microplastics in groundwater and finds that contamination is widespread, with fiber-shaped particles and polyethylene being the most common types detected. The study highlights that climate change and local geology play underappreciated roles in how microplastics move through soil into groundwater, which is a drinking water source for billions of people worldwide.
Is the River Ganga a gigantic contributor to microplastic contamination in the groundwater ecosystem under the aegis of climatic extremes?
This review examines how microplastics from the heavily polluted Ganga River may infiltrate groundwater in the Indian Gangetic Floodplains, connecting rising agricultural plastic use, floods, and urbanization to an emerging risk of groundwater contamination in the region.
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.
Groundwater in the age of plastic
This review examines microplastic contamination of groundwater globally, synthesizing studies on occurrence, transport pathways through soil and aquifer matrices, and the emerging implications for drinking water safety and groundwater ecosystem health.
Microplastics contamination of groundwater: Current evidence and future perspectives. A review
This review examines the current evidence on microplastic contamination of groundwater, which supplies drinking water to over 2 billion people worldwide. Researchers found that microplastics can reach groundwater through atmospheric deposition, surface water interaction, urban infrastructure, and agricultural soils, though detection remains challenging. The study proposes a new "Hydrogeoplastic Model" framework and calls for improved detection methods to better characterize microplastic fate in aquifer systems.
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.
Urban and Groundwater Microplastic Contamination: Sources, Distribution, Impacts, and Remediation Technologies
This review addressed microplastic contamination in urban environments and groundwater systems, covering source pathways from roads and stormwater runoff, distribution through urban catchments, and potential impacts on drinking water aquifers. It highlighted groundwater as an understudied but critical exposure pathway.
Microplastic accumulation in groundwater: Data-scaled insights and future research
This data-driven review of nearly 400 groundwater samples worldwide found that microplastics are present in both shallow and deep groundwater, with open groundwater sources showing higher contamination than enclosed aquifers. The findings are relevant to human health because groundwater supplies drinking water for billions of people, and the study identifies key gaps in our understanding of how microplastics accumulate underground.
Groundwater systems under siege: The silent invasion of microplastics and cock-tails worldwide
This review reveals that groundwater, a critical drinking water source for billions of people, is increasingly contaminated with microplastics from surface pollution seeping downward through soil. Unlike ocean and river pollution, groundwater microplastic contamination has received far less research attention, leaving major gaps in understanding how plastics migrate underground. The findings are alarming because contaminated groundwater directly enters drinking water supplies with little to no treatment in many regions.
Understanding Microplastic Pollution in Groundwater: Pathways, Health Implications and Solutions
This review examines how microplastics infiltrate groundwater systems through pathways including landfills, agricultural runoff, water treatment facilities, and aging plastic pipes. Researchers found that once in groundwater, microplastics can persist for long periods and degrade water quality while interacting with other subsurface contaminants. The study highlights that groundwater microplastic contamination is an underappreciated threat to one of humanity's most important freshwater sources.
Fate of Microplastics in Deep Gravel Riverbeds: Evidence for Direct Transfer from River Water to Groundwater
Researchers tracked microplastic particles vertically through gravel riverbeds using depth-profile sampling, finding that MPs move directly from river water into subsurface gravel sediments and onward toward groundwater, documenting a pathway for plastic particles to enter drinking water aquifers.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic particles in groundwater systems worldwide
This review synthesizes global evidence on microplastic contamination in groundwater systems, examining how particles enter aquifers via vadose zone infiltration, groundwater-surface water exchange, and managed recharge sites, while highlighting the lack of standardized baseline concentration data across aquifer types worldwide.
Microplastics in groundwater: a global analysis
Researchers conducted a global groundwater sampling study — collecting approximately 300 litres per site from caves, boreholes, monitoring wells, and surface springs worldwide using a standardised filtration protocol — to characterise microplastic contamination in these poorly studied anoxic systems. The study presented first results aimed at closing a major knowledge gap about microplastic transport and fate in global groundwater resources.
Research advances of micro/nanoplastics in groundwater: occurrence, environmental impacts and control strategies
This review examines the emerging issue of microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in groundwater systems, covering their sources, distribution patterns, potential environmental risks, and removal strategies. Researchers highlight that the strong heterogeneity and complexity of underground environments make studying microplastic migration particularly challenging. The study identifies significant knowledge gaps in sampling methods and calls for more research into how microplastics move through groundwater aquifers.
Distribution and transport of microplastics in groundwater (Shiraz aquifer, southwest Iran)
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in groundwater from an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region of Iran. They identified microplastics in all sampled wells, with fibers and fragments being the most common shapes and polyethylene the dominant polymer type. The study demonstrates that groundwater, an important source of drinking water, is not immune to microplastic contamination and calls for more research on transport mechanisms in subsurface environments.
Control strategies for microplastic pollution in groundwater
This review summarizes how microplastics migrate from soil into groundwater and the strategies available to control this contamination. Researchers found that microplastic concentrations in groundwater vary by region, with factors like soil type and land use influencing how particles travel underground. The study highlights the urgency of developing effective control measures since groundwater is a primary drinking water source for much of the world's population.
Impact of flooding on microplastic abundance and distribution in freshwater environment: a review
This review examines how flooding events affect the movement and accumulation of microplastics in freshwater environments. Researchers found that floods can mobilize microplastics from soil and urban surfaces, redistributing them across rivers, floodplains, and sediments. The study highlights that extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent, may play a significant role in spreading microplastic contamination that is often overlooked.
Microplastics transport during Managed Aquifer Recharge – A potential cause of groundwater contamination?
Researchers measured microplastics at multiple stages of a major managed aquifer recharge system in Switzerland and found that plastic particles from the Rhine River can penetrate through the treatment process into pumped groundwater, raising concerns about drinking water quality.
Contamination, morphological and chemical characterization, and hazard risk analyses of microplastics in drinking water sourced from groundwater in a developing nation
Researchers analyzed groundwater from six coastal districts in a developing nation and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. Since groundwater is the primary drinking water source in many developing countries, this contamination represents a direct pathway for microplastic ingestion by millions of people.
A Global Review of Microplastic Contamination in Groundwater: Empirical Evidence and Latin American Perspectives
Scientists reviewed 129 studies and found that tiny pieces of plastic (called microplastics) are contaminating groundwater around the world, which is concerning because groundwater provides drinking water to billions of people. The research shows we don't know enough about this problem, especially in Latin America where only two studies have actually tested groundwater for plastic contamination. This matters because we need better monitoring and policies to protect our underground water sources from plastic pollution that could affect human health.
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.