Papers

61,005 results
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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 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

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

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.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 20 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Water Research 84 citations
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

Microplastics in karst ecosystems and its impact on drinking water quality

This doctoral dissertation investigated microplastic contamination in karst ecosystems — including springs, lakes, air, rainwater, and sediment — in Slovenia, with a focus on drinking water sources that serve over 20,000 residents. The research found microplastics present across all sampled environments and aimed to identify pollution sources and transport pathways to help protect vulnerable karst groundwater supplies.

2023 RUNG
Review Tier 2

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.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 225 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Water Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024
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 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

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

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.

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

Global 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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 27 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic pollution in groundwater: a systematic review

This systematic review reveals that microplastics have been found in groundwater sources worldwide, raising concerns about drinking water safety. Detection methods and reported contamination levels vary widely, highlighting the need for standardized testing to fully understand the scope of the problem.

2024 Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in groundwater of two rural communities in Mexico

Researchers detected microplastics in drinking water from ten rural wells in two Mexican communities, finding diverse polymer types and morphologies at concentrations that suggest widespread groundwater MP contamination even in areas distant from major urban pollution sources.

2025 Tecnología y Ciencias del Agua
Article Tier 2

Global status, risk assessment, and knowledge gaps of microplastics in groundwater: A bibliometric analysis

This review analyzed 215 published studies on microplastics in groundwater and found that this area of research is still in its early stages compared to surface water studies. Evidence indicates that microplastic contamination is present in groundwater worldwide, but sampling methods and reported results vary widely. The authors identified significant knowledge gaps in understanding how microplastics move through underground water systems and what risks they may pose to drinking water sources.

2024 Groundwater for Sustainable Development 5 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023
Article Tier 2

A threat beneath the surface: Microplastic contamination in the groundwater of one of Europe's largest wetland complexes

Researchers confirmed microplastic contamination in groundwater samples from one of the world's most populous regions, documenting particle abundance, polymer types, and potential infiltration pathways from surface contamination through soil to subsurface aquifers.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing microplastic (>25μm) presence in groundwater systems in England

This study — the first to systematically assess microplastics in groundwater across England — found microplastic particles present in aquifer samples and developed a standardized sampling protocol comparing different aquifer types and borehole environments. Groundwater contamination is particularly concerning because it serves as a major drinking water source, and this work lays the groundwork for national-level monitoring and regulation.

2026