Papers

61,005 results
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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

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

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

The Effect of Polymer Type and Particle Concentration on Microplastic Transport Mechanisms in Saturated Porous Media

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through soil and groundwater by testing different types of plastics at various concentrations. They found that the amount and type of plastic affects how far these particles travel underground, and that bacteria growing on the plastic surfaces can change how they move through soil. This research helps us better understand how microplastics might contaminate our drinking water sources and food supply.

2026
Article Tier 2

Transport of polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, polyethylene terephthalate and polymethyl methacrylate microplastics in porous media under gradient ionic strength

Researchers used column experiments to study how four types of microplastics — polypropylene, PVC, PET, and PMMA — move through soil-like porous media under different salt concentrations. They found that increasing salinity reduces microplastic mobility by causing particles to stick to sand surfaces, which has implications for predicting how far microplastics can travel through soils to reach groundwater.

2023 Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability 11 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

Transport and Retention of Unstable Nanoparticle Suspensions in Porous Media: Effects of Salinity and Hydrophobicity Observed in Microfluidic Pore Networks

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through soil and rock underground, which helps us understand what happens to microplastics in our environment. They found that salty water and oily surfaces cause these particles to clump together and get permanently stuck in the ground, which could affect how microplastics spread through groundwater. This research helps us better predict where microplastics might end up and how to design systems to trap them before they reach our drinking water sources.

2026
Article Tier 2

Effects of co-present mineral colloids on the transport of microplastics in porous media: The key role of hydrochemical and hydrodynamic conditions

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) move through soil and sand when mixed with natural clay particles. They found that the combination of different clay types and water conditions can either help microplastics travel further underground or trap them in place. This research helps us better understand how microplastics might contaminate groundwater sources that provide our drinking water.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Effect of surfactants on the transport of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in porous media

Researchers investigated how surfactants (common chemicals in detergents) affect the movement of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics through sand and soil. The study found that surfactants can help microplastics travel farther through porous materials, potentially increasing the spread of contamination. Factors like surfactant concentration, water chemistry, and flow rate all influenced how easily microplastics moved, suggesting that everyday chemicals may worsen microplastic pollution in groundwater.

2021 Water Research 207 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced mobility and dynamic retention of nanoplastics in mineral coated porous media.

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through different types of soil and sand that might be found in groundwater systems. They discovered that these nanoplastics travel much farther and faster through soil than previously thought, especially when water flows quickly. This matters because it suggests that plastic pollution from things like food packaging and cosmetics could spread more widely through our drinking water sources than we realized.

2026
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

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

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

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

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 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

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

Fate and transport of fragmented and spherical microplastics in saturated gravel and quartz sand

Researchers studied the fate and transport of fragmented and spherical microplastics through saturated gravel aquifer columns, finding that particle shape strongly influences transport distance, with fragments traveling farther than spheres.

2024 Journal of Environmental Quality 7 citations
Article Tier 2

The transport of polystyrene microplastics in saturated porous media: Impacts of functional groups and solution chemistry

Researchers studied how surface chemistry and water conditions affect the movement of polystyrene microplastics through sand, comparing unmodified particles with those carrying carboxyl or amino groups that mimic natural aging. They found that factors like water acidity, salt concentration, and the type of chemical groups on the plastic surface all significantly influenced how far the particles traveled. The study provides important insights into how weathered microplastics may spread through soil and groundwater differently than fresh particles.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Numerical and Experimental Approach to Evaluate Microplastic Transport in Saturated Porous Media

This study used both lab experiments and computer modeling to track how microplastics move through sandy soil and water-filtration media under different flow conditions. It found that slower water flow significantly increased the trapping of microplastics in sand filters, suggesting that flow rate is a key variable to optimize when designing natural or engineered filtration systems to remove microplastics from water.

2024 Microplastics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Secondary nanoplastic transport in sand and in soil

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles called nanoplastics move through sand and soil after being broken down in the environment for many years. They found that different types of plastic particles move differently underground - some get stuck while others travel further - depending on the plastic type and soil conditions. This research helps us better understand how these microscopic plastic pieces might spread through groundwater and potentially reach drinking water sources, which could affect human health.

2026
Article Tier 2

Investigation for Synergies of Ionic Strength and Flow Velocity on Colloidal-Sized Microplastic Transport and Deposition in Porous Media Using the Colloidal–AFM Probe

Experiments showed that both water flow speed and salt concentration work together to control how microplastic particles stick to and move through sand and soil. Understanding these combined effects is important for predicting how microplastics travel through groundwater and contaminate water supplies.

2020 Langmuir 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Particulate flow in porous media: experimental study and numerical modelling of microplastic transport in geomaterials

This study combined laboratory experiments and numerical modeling to examine how microplastic particles migrate through porous geomaterials, finding that transport behavior is similar to fine soil particles moving through hydrogeological environments. The results have implications for predicting microplastic contamination of groundwater.

2024
Article Tier 2

Experimental and simulated microplastics transport in saturated natural sediments: Impact of grain size and particle size

Researchers tested how microplastics of different sizes move through natural soil and sediment layers, finding that smaller particles (10-20 micrometers) passed through easily while larger ones got trapped. In gravel, over 85% of the smallest microplastics made it through the sediment column. This means microplastics on the land surface can gradually leach down into underground aquifers that supply drinking water, representing a potential route of human exposure.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 34 citations