Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of input concentration, media particle size, and flow rate on fate of polystyrene nanoplastics in saturated porous media

Researchers systematically tested how input concentration, sand grain size, and flow rate control nanoplastic transport through saturated porous media, finding that nanoplastics are highly mobile under most conditions and — crucially — fragment into smaller sub-100 nm particles during long-term release, potentially increasing their environmental persistence and bioavailability.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 27 citations
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

Attachment and detachment of large microplastics in saturated porous media and its influencing factors

Researchers investigated how large microplastics (10-20 micrometers) move through saturated sand, finding that water flow rate, particle size ratio, salinity, and pH all significantly influenced microplastic attachment and detachment in porous media.

2022 Chemosphere 39 citations
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

Effects of pore water flow rate on microplastics transport in saturated porous media: Spatial distribution analysis

Researchers studied how water flow rate affects the transport and retention of polystyrene microplastics in saturated porous media using a two-dimensional flow cell. They found that higher flow rates reduced overall particle retention but created more clustered distribution patterns in the pore spaces. The study provides important insights into how microplastics migrate through soil and groundwater systems, which has implications for understanding subsurface contamination.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

SiO2 and microparticle transport in a saturated porous medium: effects of particle size and flow rate

Column experiments tracking the movement of polystyrene microplastic particles and silica particles through saturated gravel showed that larger particles are retained more strongly, but higher water flow rates push both types deeper into the porous medium. At the same flow rate, 10-micrometer polystyrene particles were retained 46% more effectively than 2-micrometer particles, illustrating how particle size and water velocity interact to control microplastic transport through subsurface environments. Understanding these dynamics is important for predicting how microplastics reach groundwater and spread through aquifer systems.

2024 Applied Water Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of different microplastics in porous media: Effect of the adhesion of surfactants on microplastics

Researchers investigated how surfactant adhesion on different microplastic surfaces affects their transport through porous media, finding that surfactant interactions vary with microplastic type and significantly alter their mobility in subsurface environments.

2022 Water Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of increased small nanoplastic particle retention in water-saturated sand media with montmorillonite and diatomite: Particle sizes, water components, and modelling

Researchers compared how clay minerals (diatomite and montmorillonite) affect the transport of 20 nm and 80 nm polystyrene nanoplastics through water-saturated sand columns, finding that very small nanoplastics (20 nm) can enter diatomite's porous lattice structure, enhancing their retention, while montmorillonite more broadly inhibited transport of both sizes.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport and retention mechanism of microplastics in saturated porous media: Dominance of layer sequence and modulation by solution chemistry

Researchers found that the layered sequence of sand structures in saturated porous media dominates microplastic transport and retention patterns, with coarse-to-fine layering trapping more particles than fine-to-coarse sequences, and solution chemistry further modulating these physical effects.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Denser microplastics migrate deeper? Effect of particle density on microplastics transport in artificial and natural porous media

Researchers conducted saturated column experiments with polyethylene microspheres of different densities in glass bead and gravel porous media to investigate how particle density affects microplastic transport behavior, finding that density significantly influences MP fate and providing transport model fits with R2 above 82.3%.

2024
Article Tier 2

Pore-Scale Insightsinto Microplastic Fiber Transportand Retention in Porous Media

Researchers investigated pore-scale transport and retention of polypropylene microfibers (20-150 micrometers) in a microfluidic porous media cell, demonstrating that fiber size and flexibility are the primary determinants of mobility versus entrapment. The findings reveal how agricultural soils act as sinks for microplastic fibers and how fiber trapping alters flow dynamics at the pore scale.

2025 Figshare
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

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

A pore-scale investigation of microplastics migration and deposition during unsaturated flow in porous media

Researchers used microfluidic experiments to investigate microplastic migration and deposition during unsaturated flow in porous media, identifying multiple deposition patterns influenced by flow rate, particle size, volume fraction, and pore geometry.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Transport of degradable/nondegradable and aged microplastics in porous media: Effects of physicochemical factors

Researchers compared the transport of degradable (PLA) and nondegradable (PVC) microplastics through porous media, finding that degradable microplastics were more easily retained due to greater surface roughness and hydrophilicity, while aging from UV exposure further increased retention of both types.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 93 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

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

Micro- and nanoplastics retention in porous media exhibits different dependence on grain surface roughness and clay coating with particle size

Researchers found that grain surface roughness and clay coatings affect the retention of microplastics and nanoplastics in porous media differently depending on particle size, with nanoplastics behaving oppositely to microplastics in certain soil conditions — complicating predictions of plastic transport in groundwater systems.

2022 Water Research 38 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

Pore-Scale Insights into Microplastic Fiber Transport and Retention in Porous Media

Pore-scale imaging and experiments revealed how microplastic fibers move through and get retained in soil and sediment pores, showing that fiber shape and size strongly influence transport distance and accumulation zones. Understanding these dynamics is key to predicting where microplastics accumulate in terrestrial and subsurface environments.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations