Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Horizontal and vertical mobilisation of microplastics in agricultural soils: run-off and infiltration experiments

Researchers studied the horizontal and vertical movement of microplastics from agricultural mulch films in soil, examining runoff and leaching as transport pathways. The study found that microplastics from mulch films migrate both downward into the soil profile and laterally via surface runoff.

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

Microplastic fate in soil environments: Drivers of the vertical transport of mulching film fragments

This study examined the vertical transport and fate of microplastics in soil environments, focusing on particles generated from the degradation of plastic mulch films used in agriculture. Multiple drivers including soil structure, rainfall, and particle properties were shown to influence how deeply microplastics migrate through the soil profile.

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

Horizontal transport of macro- and microplastics on soil surface by rainfall induced surface runoff as affected by vegetations

Researchers investigated how rainfall-induced surface runoff transports macro- and microplastics across soil surfaces, finding that vegetation cover significantly reduces plastic transport while plastic size, density, and rainfall intensity also influence horizontal movement.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 104 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fate in soil environments: Drivers of the vertical transport of mulching film fragments

Researchers investigated the vertical transport of microplastics from plastic mulch films in soil, identifying factors that control how far particles move downward into the soil profile. Particle size, shape, and soil properties were found to be key drivers of microplastic vertical migration.

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

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.

2022
Article Tier 2

Rainfall-induced lateral and vertical microplastic transport of varying sizes in agricultural fields

Rainfall simulation experiments tracked polyethylene microplastics of three size ranges (53–500 µm) on agricultural soil plots, finding that smaller particles were transported farther laterally in surface runoff and penetrated deeper into soil profiles, highlighting size-dependent microplastic mobility under rainfall conditions.

2025 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical transport of microplastic in agricultural soil in controlled irrigation plot experiments

Researchers conducted field plot experiments in agricultural soil and found that microplastics migrate vertically with irrigation water, with smaller particles (53–63 µm) penetrating up to 6 cm deep and larger particles remaining near the surface, indicating that water infiltration is a key driver of subsurface plastic transport.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil erosion as transport pathway of microplastic from agriculture soils to aquatic ecosystems

Researchers simulated heavy rainfall events on agricultural soils containing microplastics and tracked particle transport through runoff and erosion, finding that soil erosion is a significant pathway for moving agricultural microplastics into adjacent water bodies, with particle size and shape governing transport distance.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 166 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the movement of microplastics in soil in response to overland flow and splash erosion

Researchers quantified how overland flow and raindrop splash erosion mobilize and transport microplastics from soil surfaces. Both processes moved microplastic particles, with splash being particularly effective at short distances and overland flow dominating transport over larger areas. Understanding these erosion-driven transport processes is important for predicting how microplastics move from agricultural fields into streams and rivers.

2023
Article Tier 2

Size/shape-dependent migration of microplastics in agricultural soil under simulative and natural rainfall

Researchers found that microplastic migration in agricultural soil under rainfall depends on particle size and shape, with smaller particles moving deeper and rainfall intensity significantly influencing vertical transport patterns in soil profiles.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 132 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical transport of microplastics from agricultural mulching films and associated chemical additives in soil ecosystems

Researchers tracked the vertical migration of microplastics derived from agricultural mulching films through soil profiles, finding that plastic particles and associated chemical additives can move downward through the soil column, raising concerns about groundwater contamination.

2024 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Lateral Transport in Agricultural Slopes: A Field-Based Approach

Researchers conducted field experiments on agricultural slopes to quantify lateral microplastic transport via surface runoff and erosion, finding that slope gradient, soil structure, and microplastic physical properties all influence detachment and downslope redistribution of MP contamination from soil.

2025
Article Tier 2

Horizontal transport characteristics of microplastics under simulated hydrodynamic conditions

Researchers systematically investigated the horizontal transport of microplastics across soil surfaces under simulated hydrodynamic conditions using 1 µm polystyrene particles and quartz sand. The study identified surface runoff scouring as a key pathway by which microplastics are mobilized and distributed laterally through terrestrial environments.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Understanding the overland transport of microplastics from agricultural soils to freshwater systems

This study investigated how microplastics move from agricultural soils to freshwater systems through surface runoff. Researchers found that rainfall intensity, soil type, and particle characteristics all influenced how much plastic reached waterways. Understanding the overland transport pathway is important because agricultural soils are one of the largest reservoirs of microplastics in terrestrial environments.

2023
Article Tier 2

Microplastic polymer type impacts water infiltration and its own transport in soil

Researchers conducted laboratory soil column experiments to examine how microplastic polymer type affects both water infiltration rates and the transport of the plastic particles themselves through soil, testing the two most commonly used agricultural microplastic types under controlled hydrological conditions. The study found that polymer type significantly influenced both water flow dynamics and microplastic mobility in soil, with important implications for predicting plastic fate in agricultural and natural terrestrial ecosystems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Transport and Fate of Microplastics in Terrestrial Environments: The Role of Surface Runoff, Root-Mediated Infiltration, and Fragmentation-Driven Mobility

Researchers investigated the transport and fate of microplastics in terrestrial environments through three key processes -- surface runoff, root-mediated infiltration, and fragmentation-driven mobility -- applying classical sediment transport principles to microplastic movement. Field studies and laboratory experiments examined how particle characteristics such as density, size, and shape influence microplastic distribution across agricultural and natural landscapes.

2025 Qucosa (Saxon State and University Library Dresden)
Article Tier 2

The Transport of Microplastics from Soil in Response to Surface Runoff and Splash Erosion

Using high-frequency photography and fluorescent particles during rainfall simulations, researchers tracked how different types of microplastics move across soil surfaces in real time. All tested microplastic types moved faster than natural sand particles during rainfall, with surface runoff being the primary transport mechanism. The findings suggest that rain events can efficiently wash microplastics from agricultural and urban soils into nearby waterways.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Rainfall-induced microplastic fate and transport in unsaturated Dutch soils

This study simulated rainfall conditions to track how different types of microplastics move through Dutch soils, finding that sandy soils allowed significantly more microplastics to wash through than loamy soils. Heavier rainfall increased microplastic movement by up to 144% depending on the plastic type, with conventional polyethylene washing out most easily. The findings suggest that rain can carry microplastics from surface soil into groundwater, potentially contaminating drinking water sources.

2024 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and Analysis of Microplastics in Farmland Soils: Characterization, Sources, and Pathways

This study quantified and characterized microplastics in farmland soils from multiple sites, identifying agricultural mulch films, irrigation water, and compost as major sources and documenting widespread soil contamination across different farming regions.

2021 Agriculture 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics transport in soils: A critical review

This critical review examined how microplastics are transported through soils, evaluating the role of particle size and shape, soil texture, water flow, and bioturbation in governing vertical and lateral transport. The authors identify knowledge gaps in field-scale transport processes and call for standardized leaching experiments to improve predictions of microplastic mobility in terrestrial systems.

2024 1 citations