Papers

20 results
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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

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
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

Microplastics transport in soils: A critical review

Researchers reviewed how microplastics move through soil, finding that their transport depends on a complex mix of particle properties, soil chemistry, water flow, and biological activity — and that these factors often interact in ways that produce contradictory results across studies. The review maps these knowledge gaps and calls for more controlled experiments to predict where microplastics accumulate and how they might reach groundwater or crops.

2025 Earth-Science Reviews 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Current understanding of subsurface transport of micro‐ and nanoplastics in soil

This review summarizes current knowledge about how micro- and nanoplastics are transported through soil subsurface environments. Researchers discuss the fundamental mechanisms governing plastic particle movement in soils, including size-dependent filtration, preferential flow through macropores, and interactions with soil colloids. The study highlights significant gaps in understanding how plastics migrate through different soil types and may eventually reach groundwater.

2021 Vadose Zone Journal 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding microplastic transport and retention in soil: insights from laboratory and field studies

This study combined laboratory column experiments and field observations to characterize how polyethylene, PBAT, and starch-based biodegradable microplastics move through sandy loam and loamy sand soils under different hydrological conditions. Transport distance and retention depth varied significantly by polymer type and soil texture, with rainfall intensity being a key driver of vertical microplastic migration.

2025
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

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.

2023 Ground Water 7 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

Transport behavior of microplastics in soil‒water environments and its dependence on soil components

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics move through columns packed with different soil components and found that soil organic matter allowed the highest transport efficiency, with over 90 percent of particles passing through. Electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged microplastics and soil particles was a key factor driving migration. The results suggest that soil composition plays a major role in determining how far microplastics can travel underground toward water sources.

2024 Environmental Pollution 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and transformation of microplastics and nanoplastics in the soil environment: A critical review

This critical review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics move through and transform within soil environments. Researchers discuss aggregation, sorption of contaminants, interactions with soil organisms, and degradation pathways that affect the fate of plastic particles in terrestrial systems. The study identifies major knowledge gaps in understanding subsurface plastic transport and calls for standardized methods to better assess the ecological and health risks of soil plastic pollution.

2021 Soil Use and Management 88 citations
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

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

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)
Review Tier 2

Migration and toxicology of microplastics in soil: A review

This review examines how microplastics migrate through soil, summarizes their known toxic effects on soil organisms and plants, and identifies key gaps in current understanding. Soils are increasingly recognized as major microplastic repositories, and their contamination has implications for food safety and ecosystem health.

2019 Environment International
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

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

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the vertical migration of pesticides in soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the vertical migration of pesticide mixtures in soil using stainless steel column experiments with sandy reference soil, finding that microplastics' hydrophobic surfaces and high sorption capacity altered the transport of 20 pesticides compared to uncontaminated soil.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Meta Analysis Tier 1

A meta-analysis of nanomaterial and nanoplastic fate in small column experiments and implications for fate in soils

This meta-analysis pools data from column experiments to understand how nanoplastics behave and move through soil. The findings help predict where nanoplastics end up in the ground, which matters for human health because these particles can leach into groundwater or be taken up by crops growing in contaminated soil.

2025 NanoImpact 1 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