Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Transport of polystyrene nanoplastics in natural soils: Effect of soil properties, ionic strength and cation type

Researchers used column experiments across three soil types to show that polystyrene nanoplastic transport is governed by soil iron and aluminum oxide content and pH — with high-pH, low-oxide soils allowing up to 97% nanoplastic passage — and that calcium ions and higher ionic strength significantly increase retention, revealing that soil chemistry strongly controls nanoplastic mobility toward groundwater.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 290 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-impacts of cation type and humic acid on migration of polystyrene microplastics in saturated porous media

Researchers investigated how different cation types and humic acid concentrations affect the movement of polystyrene microplastics through saturated soil. The study found that aging accelerated microplastic migration under all conditions, while calcium ions and humic acid had complex interactive effects on microplastic transport and retention in porous media.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical transport of polystyrene nanoplastics in natural soils under unsaturated conditions: influence of particle size and texture

Laboratory experiments showed that polystyrene nanoplastics can travel downward through unsaturated soils, but larger particles and clay-rich soils retain them more effectively than smaller particles in sandy soils. Understanding how nanoplastics move through soil is important for predicting whether they will reach groundwater and contaminate drinking water sources.

2026 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Effects of clay minerals on the transport of polystyrene nanoplastic in groundwater

Researchers investigated how clay minerals affect nanoplastic transport in groundwater, finding that montmorillonite, kaolinite, and illite each uniquely influenced polystyrene nanoparticle mobility, with montmorillonite showing the strongest retention capacity due to its high surface charge.

2022 Water Research 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating transport kinetics of polystyrene nanoplastics in saturated porous media

Researchers investigated how ionic strength, pH, and organic matter influence the transport of polystyrene nanoplastics through saturated porous media using column experiments and DLVO modeling, finding that increasing sodium ion concentrations promote nanoplastic aggregation and reduce mobility in soil and groundwater systems.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of functional group modified polystyrene nanoplastics in binary metal oxide saturated porous media

Researchers found that the surface functional groups of polystyrene nanoplastics significantly influenced their transport behavior through binary metal oxide porous media, with solution chemistry and the specific combination of metal oxides playing key roles in determining nanoplastic mobility in soil environments.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of low-molecular-weight organic acids on the transport of polystyrene nanoplastics in saturated porous media

Researchers studied how low-molecular-weight organic acids (common in soil and groundwater) affect the movement of polystyrene nanoplastics through saturated porous media, finding that low concentrations promote transport while high concentrations increase particle deposition, with the effect scaling with the number of functional groups on the organic acid.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of clay minerals on the transport of nanoplastics through water-saturated porous media

Column experiments with clay-containing saturated porous media showed that clay minerals reduced nanoplastic transport by enhancing particle retention through bridging flocculation and charge neutralization, with kaolinite having greater retention effects than montmorillonite, informing predictions of nanoplastic mobility in clay-rich soils.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 68 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of natural organic matters on fate of polystyrene nanoplastics in porous media

Researchers investigated how natural organic matter (NOM) affects the transport of polystyrene nanoplastics through porous media, finding that NOM facilitates nanoplastic movement by increasing energy barriers, while metal ions reduce transport by promoting nanoplastic aggregation.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of physicochemical factors on transport and retention of polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) in homogeneous and heterogeneous saturated porous media

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics move through different types of underground soil and sand formations. They found that smaller sand grains, higher salt concentrations, and the presence of calcium ions all increased microplastic retention, while mixed soil layers created preferential flow paths that allowed some particles to break through faster. The findings help explain how microplastics could potentially contaminate groundwater aquifers.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of polystyrene nanoplastics in porous media: Combined effects of two co-existing substances

Researchers studied how cationic and anionic surfactants interact with natural organic matter (humic acid and sodium alginate) to control polystyrene nanoplastic transport through porous media, finding that the dominant mobility mechanism switched from electrostatic (with cationic surfactants) to hydrophobic (with anionic surfactants), with organic matter amplifying each surfactant's effect.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of two-site kinetic transport parameters of polystyrene nanoplastics in porous media

This laboratory study tracked how polystyrene nanoplastics move through different soil types by measuring their transport through columns packed with quartz sand and clay minerals. Higher pH conditions reduced the ability of clay minerals to trap nanoplastics, meaning they traveled farther and faster through soil toward groundwater. Understanding these transport dynamics is key to predicting how nanoplastic contamination spreads through soils and ultimately reaches drinking water sources.

2023 Chemosphere 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Low-Molecular-Weight Organic Acids on the Transport of Polystyrene Nanoplastics in Saturated Goethite-Coated Sand Columns

This study examined how low-molecular-weight organic acids — common root exudates in soil — affect the transport of polystyrene nanoplastics through porous media. Organic acids altered nanoplastic surface charge and aggregation state, significantly changing how far particles could migrate through soil.

2024 Water 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Surfactant-mediated transport of polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics in porous media: Influence of natural organic matter, natural inorganic ligands and electrolytes

Researchers studied how surfactants affect the movement of polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics through soil and groundwater systems. They found that surfactants, particularly anionic ones, significantly enhance nanoplastic transport through porous materials, while certain minerals and organic matter can either help or hinder movement. The findings are important for understanding how nanoplastics spread through subsurface environments and potentially contaminate groundwater.

2025 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Tracking the transport of europium-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics in natural soils: Insights from leaching tests under varied environmental condition

Researchers tracked the vertical transport of europium-labeled polystyrene nanoplastics through three natural soil types (high-calcium, red, and black soil) using leaching column experiments under simulated rainfall, with ICP-MS quantification revealing greatest nanoplastic mobility in high-calcium soil.

2025 Environmental Technology & Innovation
Article Tier 2

Influences of input concentration, media particle size, metal cation valence, and ionic concentration on the transport, long-term release, and particle breakage of polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics in saturated porous media

Researchers investigated the transport and long-term release of polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics through saturated porous media, finding that particle concentration, sediment grain size, ionic strength, and cation valence all significantly affected nanoplastic mobility and retention relevant to groundwater contamination.

2023 Chemosphere 19 citations
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

Eco-Corona Dictates Mobility of Nanoplastics in Saturated Porous Media: The Critical Role of Preferential Binding of Macromolecules

The eco-corona that forms on nanoplastic surfaces through interaction with humic substances and extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) was found to critically determine nanoplastic mobility through saturated porous media. Humic-coated nanoplastics showed greater mobility than EPS-coated ones, suggesting natural organic matter composition governs nanoplastic transport in groundwater systems.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Nanoplastics as carriers of organic pollutants in seawater-saturated porous media: a quantitative comparison of transport pathways

Researchers quantitatively compared transport pathways of non-polar organic pollutants carried by nanoplastics through seawater-saturated porous media, demonstrating that the carrier effect of nanoplastics is the primary mechanism inhibiting pollutant migration and enabling their co-transport in coastal and marine subsurface environments.

2025 Environmental Science Nano
Article Tier 2

Impact of diatomit on the transport behavior of unmodified and carboxyl-modified nanoplastics in saturated porous media

This study examined how diatomite affects the transport of carboxyl-modified microplastics through porous media, finding that diatomite addition alters the surface interactions governing plastic mobility in soil and aquifer environments.

2024 Environmental Pollution 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Migration of Nanoplastic in Soil: Effects of Polymer Properties and Rainfall Conditions

Researchers investigated the vertical migration of nanoplastics in soil under simulated rainfall, examining how polymer type, concentration, aging, rainfall duration, and pH affect transport behavior. Rainfall promoted nanoplastic entry and retention in upper soil layers, with long-term rainfall driving gradual migration to deeper layers, and nanoplastic mobility found to be inversely related to particle concentration.

2025 Water
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

Co-transport of polystyrene nanoplastics and soil colloids in saturated porous media: influence of pH and ionic strength

Researchers examined the co-transport of polystyrene nanoplastics and soil colloids in saturated porous media, finding that solution pH and ionic strength significantly influenced their combined transport behavior through mechanisms explained by DLVO theory and adsorption tests.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Transport characteristics of polystyrene microplastics in saturated porous media with biochar/Fe3O4-biochar under various chemical conditions

Biochar and iron oxide-modified biochar (Fe3O4-biochar) reduced the transport of polystyrene microplastics through sandy porous media by increasing surface attachment, with the effect modulated by humic acid concentration and ionic conditions. The findings suggest that biochar soil amendments could help immobilize MPs in contaminated agricultural soils and reduce their leaching to groundwater.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 62 citations