Papers

20 results
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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)
Article Tier 2

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.

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

Modeling microplastic transport through porous media: challenges arising from dynamic transport behavior

This perspective article reviews microplastic transport through porous media such as soils and aquifers, identifying the limitations of existing hydrogeological models and proposing research directions for more effectively modelling the dynamic, particle-specific transport behaviour of microplastics in porous environments.

2025
Article Tier 2

Numerical simulation of microplastic permeation in soil: from solutes to particles

Researchers developed numerical simulations to predict breakthrough curves for microplastic permeation through soil, accounting for particle size relative to pore dimensions, flow dynamics, particle-media interactions, and potential pore clogging to model accumulation and transport in complex porous structures.

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

Transport of Microplastics Through Porous Media: Influence of Porosity and Pore-Water Velocity

Researchers investigated microplastic transport through porous media under varying porosity and pore-water velocity conditions relevant to groundwater systems. Higher pore-water velocities increased microplastic transport distance, while lower porosity soils retained more particles near the surface, providing experimental data to improve models predicting microplastic migration toward drinking water aquifers.

2025
Article Tier 2

Numerical simulation of microplastic permeation in soil: from solutes to particles

Researchers developed a numerical simulation model to predict the permeation and transport of microplastic particles through soil, accounting for particle size relative to pore size, complex porous soil structure, flow dynamics, and pore-clogging interactions to generate accurate breakthrough curve predictions.

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

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.

2022 Frontiers in Environmental Science 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and study of the migration pattern of microplastic particles in saturated porous media pavement

This study modeled how microplastic particles migrate through porous pavement during stormwater runoff, providing insights for designing urban road surfaces that could reduce microplastic transport into groundwater and waterways.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental and mathematical investigation of cotransport of clay and microplastics in saturated porous media

This study investigated how microplastics travel through underground soil and sand, finding that clay particles in the soil can actually help microplastics move farther by changing how they interact with soil surfaces. The research developed a mathematical model to predict this movement. Understanding how microplastics travel through soil is important because it affects whether they reach and contaminate groundwater used for drinking.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling and Parametric Simulation of Microplastic Transport in Groundwater Environments

Researchers developed a parametric simulation model specifically for microplastic transport in groundwater environments, addressing the inadequacy of existing dissolved-contaminant models for studying particulate plastic pollution in subsurface systems.

2021 Applied Sciences 28 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Environmental Pollution and Management 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Geometry-Driven Prediction of Microplastic Transport in Saturated Sediments: Fast and Memory-Efficient Pore-Scale Modeling

Scientists developed a new computer model that can predict how fast tiny plastic particles move through soil and sediment when water flows through them. This matters because microplastics can carry harmful chemicals like pesticides and heavy metals as they travel underground, potentially contaminating drinking water sources and groundwater. The model helps researchers understand where these plastic pollutants might end up and how quickly they could reach water supplies that people depend on.

2026
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Modeling microplastic transport through porous media: Challenges arising from dynamic transport behavior

This perspective article examines the challenges of modeling how microplastics move through soil and groundwater systems, noting that existing transport models designed for other particles fall short. Microplastic properties change dynamically as they interact with their environment, altering their density, surface chemistry, and movement behavior in ways that are difficult to predict. The study argues that new modeling approaches, potentially using data-driven methods, are needed to accurately predict microplastic transport at meaningful environmental scales.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanism comparisons of transport-deposition-reentrainment between microplastics and natural mineral particles in porous media: A theoretical and experimental study

Researchers compared the transport, deposition, and re-entrainment behavior of microplastic particles versus natural mineral particles in porous media, finding key differences driven by density, surface charge, and shape that affect how microplastics migrate through soils and sediments.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Clogging and Unclogging of Fine Particles in Porous Media: Micromechanical Insights From an Analog Pore System

This study uses computer simulations to understand how small particles clog and unclog pores in underground soil and rock formations. While focused on general fluid-particle physics rather than microplastics specifically, the findings help explain how microplastic particles travel through soil and groundwater systems. Understanding these transport mechanisms matters for predicting how microplastics move from contaminated land into underground drinking water sources.

2024 Water Resources Research 48 citations
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

Clogging and permeability reduction dynamics in porous media: A numerical simulation study

Researchers used computer simulations to study how tiny particles moving through porous materials — like soil or filtration media — clog pores and reduce water flow. Understanding these dynamics is directly relevant to how microplastics accumulate and move through sediments, soils, and engineered water treatment systems.

2023 Powder Technology 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and retention patterns of fragmental microplastics in saturated and unsaturated porous media: A real-time pore-scale visualization

Real-time pore-scale visualization using a microscope-coupled flow cell was used to track how fragmented microplastics move and deposit in saturated and unsaturated porous media, revealing distinct transport and retention patterns depending on water saturation conditions. The findings improve mechanistic understanding of how microplastics migrate through soils toward groundwater.

2022 Water Research 78 citations