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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Fate and transport of fragmented and spherical microplastics in saturated gravel and quartz sand
ClearBinary transport of PS and PET microplastics in saturated quartz sand: Effect of sand particle size and PET shape
Not all microplastics behave the same way when they enter groundwater or soil — their shape, size, and the plastic type all influence how far they travel. This study tracked how spherical and fragment-shaped microplastics of two polymer types (polystyrene and PET) moved through sand columns, finding that fragment-shaped particles were significantly less mobile than spheres, and that when both types were present together, the spheres helped carry fragments further by forming aggregates. These findings are important for predicting how microplastics contaminate groundwater and for designing remediation strategies.
Impact of Type and Shape of Microplastics on the Transport in Column Experiments
Controlled column experiments showed that microplastic particle shape and polymer type both influence how far microplastics travel through soil and aquifer material, with all tested types (polyamide, polyethylene, polypropylene, polyester) being retarded compared to a dissolved tracer—fibers and fragments behaving differently from spheres. These findings help predict how microplastics contaminate groundwater and drinking water sources, and which particle characteristics most need to be targeted by filtration or remediation strategies.
Effect of fragmentation on the transport of polyvinyl chloride and low-density polyethylene in saturated quartz sand
Researchers examined how fragmentation affects the transport of PVC and LDPE microplastics through saturated quartz sand columns, finding that smaller PVC fragments traveled farther and that PVC particles continued breaking down during column experiments, promoting migration. Spherical LDPE particles remained immobile without fragmenting, suggesting that particle morphology and secondary fragmentation are key controls on microplastic subsurface transport.
Effect of shape on the transport and retention of nanoplastics in saturated quartz sand
Researchers compared the transport of spherical versus toroid-shaped nanoplastics through quartz sand columns, finding that irregular toroid particles traveled significantly less far than spheres due to lower energy barriers and greater tendency to accumulate along pore walls — highlighting that particle shape must be considered when predicting nanoplastic fate in soil and groundwater.
Morphology-dependent degradation and fragmentation of PVC microplastic particles influence their transport in saturated quartz sand columns
This study examined how the shape and surface characteristics of PVC microplastic particles change over time during degradation and how these changes affect their transport in sand columns. More degraded particles with rougher surfaces were retained more strongly in the sand. The findings show that microplastic weathering state affects environmental mobility, which matters for predicting how long-buried plastic particles move through soil to groundwater.
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.
Infiltration and Transport of PVC microplastic particles in saturated quartz sand columns
Researchers investigated the infiltration and transport behaviour of 125-200 micrometre PVC microplastic fragments through saturated quartz sand columns under varying flow rates, using morphological descriptors to characterise particle movement. The study aimed to understand how particle shape and flow conditions influence microplastic retention and breakthrough in subsurface porous media, relevant to groundwater contamination risk assessment.
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.
Mobility and retention of microplastic fibers and irregular plastic fragments in fluvial systems: an experimental flume study
Researchers conducted experimental flume studies to compare the mobility and retention of microplastic fibres and irregularly shaped plastic fragments in fluvial systems. The study found that particle shape strongly influences transport behaviour, with fibres exhibiting greater mobility and distinct retention patterns compared to irregular fragments, highlighting the need to move beyond spherical particle models in microplastic transport research.
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.
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.
SiO2 and microparticle transport in a saturated porous medium: effects of particle size and flow rate
Column experiments tracking the movement of polystyrene microplastic particles and silica particles through saturated gravel showed that larger particles are retained more strongly, but higher water flow rates push both types deeper into the porous medium. At the same flow rate, 10-micrometer polystyrene particles were retained 46% more effectively than 2-micrometer particles, illustrating how particle size and water velocity interact to control microplastic transport through subsurface environments. Understanding these dynamics is important for predicting how microplastics reach groundwater and spread through aquifer systems.
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.
Subsurface transport of microplastic particles in gravel columns: Impacts of different rain events and particle characteristics
Researchers conducted column experiments using pre-stained microplastic particles of two density types in gravel sediment to investigate how different rainfall intensities and land-use scenarios influence the vertical transport and retention of microplastics in subsurface environments. The study found that both particle density and rainfall event characteristics significantly affected microplastic mobility through subsurface sediments, informing models of microplastic fate in soil-water systems.
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.
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.
Investigations on microplastic infiltration within natural riverbed sediments
Researchers used laboratory flume experiments to investigate how sediment grain size affects the infiltration of four types of microplastics (PET spheres, PET ellipsoids, polystyrene fragments, and polyamide fibers) into riverbed sediments. Sediment particle size, microplastic shape, and density were key factors controlling how deeply microplastics penetrate into the hyporheic zone.
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.
Modeling of Microplastics Migration in Soil and Groundwater: Insights into Dispersion and Particle Property Effects
Researchers developed a mathematical model to predict how microplastics move through soil and into groundwater, accounting for particle size, shape, and water flow conditions. The model shows that smaller and rounder microplastics travel farther and deeper into groundwater systems, which is important for predicting contamination risks to drinking water wells.
Tracking of Small Discrete Objects Submerged in Surf and Swash Zones on Sand Beaches
Experiments in a wave flume tracked how microplastics and gravel move in surf and swash zones on beaches, finding that particle shape and size significantly affect how far they travel. The study improves predictions of where microplastic pollution accumulates on shorelines.
Infiltration Behavior of Microplastic Particles with Different Densities, Sizes, and Shapes—From Glass Spheres to Natural Sediments
Laboratory column experiments showed that microplastic infiltration depth in sediment increases as particle size decreases and sediment grain size increases, with spherical particles penetrating deepest and fibers infiltrating least. The results help define appropriate sampling depths for environmental microplastic monitoring depending on sediment type.
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.
Subsurface transport of microplastic particles in gravel columns: Impacts of different rain events and particle characteristics
Researchers conducted column experiments using 110 cm wet-packed fine gravel columns to examine subsurface transport of two microplastic types — polystyrene (denser than water) and polyethylene (less dense than water) at 50 µm median size — under different simulated rainfall scenarios including continuous rain, wet-dry cycles, and single events followed by drying. They found that particle density, rainfall pattern, and subsurface heterogeneity all influenced microplastic vertical transport and retention depth in gravel sediments.
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.