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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Quantifying the movement of microplastics in soil in response to overland flow and splash erosion
ClearSoil 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.
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.
Model-based analysis of erosion-induced microplastic delivery from arable land to the stream network of a mesoscale catchment
Researchers applied a model-based analysis to quantify how erosion transports microplastics from agricultural land to the stream network of a mesoscale catchment, finding that surface runoff and soil erosion are significant pathways for microplastic delivery to inland waters.
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.
Model-based analysis of erosion-induced microplastic delivery from arable land to the stream network of a mesoscale catchment
Researchers developed the first catchment-scale model estimating how much microplastic is transported from farmland soils into stream networks through soil erosion. The study found that erosion can be a significant pathway for moving microplastics from agricultural fields into rivers, with implications for downstream water quality.
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.
Horizontal and vertical mobilisation of microplastics in agricultural soils: run-off and infiltration experiments
Researchers measured the horizontal runoff and vertical leaching of microplastics from agricultural mulching films in field plots, quantifying transport under simulated rainfall. Both transport pathways were significant, with particle size and soil properties influencing how far microplastics moved from their source.
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.
Microplastic Transport by Overland Flow: Effects of Soil Texture and Slope Gradient Under Simulated Semi-Arid Conditions
Using rainfall simulation experiments across soils of varying texture and slope gradients, researchers studied how overland flow transports microplastics of different shapes and sizes, finding that soil texture and slope angle significantly influenced MP runoff distance and concentration.
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.
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.
Catchment-scale mechanistic predictions of microplastic transport and distribution across land and water
Researchers developed the first catchment-scale model successfully predicting microplastic transport from land to water, validated against field data, revealing how soil accumulation, runoff dynamics, and in-stream transport interact to determine where microplastics concentrate before reaching the ocean.
Soil erosion is a major drive for nano & micro-plastics to enter riverine systems from cultivated land.
A study quantifying how soil erosion transports nano and microplastics from cultivated land into rivers found that erosion is a major pathway for plastic transfer to aquatic systems, with plastic flux closely linked to soil loss rates and land management practices.
The synchronized dynamic release behavior of microplastics during farmland soil erosion process
Field and laboratory experiments on farmland soil in coastal China showed that roughly half of the microplastics present in agricultural soil can be mobilized and released into water bodies during erosion events. The dynamic release pattern — an initial decrease followed by a sharp increase — is driven by competition between particle adsorption, sedimentation, and resuspension, highlighting that controlling soil erosion is a critical and underappreciated lever for preventing microplastic contamination of rivers and coastal waters.
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.
Quantifying soil surface erosion
This study quantified soil surface erosion rates using a combination of field measurements and modeling, examining how land use, vegetation cover, and rainfall intensity interact to drive soil loss. The findings provide improved estimates for erosion-driven microplastic transport in agricultural landscapes.
The spatio-temporal variability of soil microplastic distribution and erosion-induced microplastic export under extreme rainfall event using sediment fingerprinting and 7Be in intensive agricultural catchment
Researchers tracked how soil erosion during extreme rainfall events transports microplastics from agricultural land into waterways at the catchment scale. Microplastic abundance in soil peaked during certain seasons and was highest in cropland converted from forest, with most particles smaller than 500 micrometers. Using sediment fingerprinting and beryllium-7 tracing, the study estimated substantial microplastic export loads, showing that agricultural erosion is a significant pathway for microplastic pollution in water bodies.
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.
Response of microplastic occurrence and migration to heavy rainstorm in agricultural catchment on the Loess plateau
Researchers investigated how heavy rainstorm events affect microplastic occurrence and distribution in an agricultural catchment on the Loess Plateau, finding that rainstorms mobilized microplastics from soil into runoff, with 81.6% of particles smaller than 0.5 mm. Storm-driven transport is identified as an important pathway for moving microplastics from agricultural soils into aquatic systems.
Threshold migration conditions of (micro) plastics under the action of overland flow
This study investigated how plastic particles and films move across different surfaces — smooth, concrete, and soil — under simulated rainfall and surface runoff, finding that smaller size, steeper slopes, and faster water flow all increase plastic mobility from land into waterways. The results improve understanding of how terrestrial plastic pollution ultimately reaches aquatic ecosystems, an important but under-studied part of the microplastic pollution pathway.
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.
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.
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.
Deposition and in-situ translocation of microplastics in floodplain soils
This study examined how microplastics deposit and move through floodplain soils during flooding events, finding that floods both deposit and redistribute microplastics in agricultural and riparian soils. The findings help explain how microplastic pollution spreads from rivers into surrounding terrestrial environments.