Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Nanoplastic in aqueous environments: The role of chemo-electric properties for nanoplastic-mineral interaction

Researchers studied how nanoplastics — plastic particles smaller than 1 micrometer — stick to common soil minerals underground, finding that simple electrical repulsion is less important than chemical bonding, metal ion bridging, and hydrogen bonds. Understanding these interactions is key to predicting how nanoplastics move through soil and contaminate groundwater.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 5 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

Coarse-Grained Simulations of the Nanoplastic Interactionwith Soil Organic Matter

Researchers used coarse-grained molecular simulations to investigate how nanoplastics interact with soil organic matter at the molecular level, finding that nanoplastic particle properties strongly influence their binding behavior and ecological risk in terrestrial ecosystems.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effect of deposition, detachment and aggregation processes on nanoparticle transport in porous media using Monte Carlo simulations

Researchers developed a 3D computational model to study how engineered nanoparticles move through porous soil and sediment, accounting for deposition, detachment, and aggregation. Similar models can be applied to understand how nanoplastics and small microplastics move through groundwater systems.

2021 Environmental Science Nano 8 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

Deposition of environmentally relevant nanoplastic models in sand during transport experiments

This study tracked how environmentally relevant nanoplastic models move through sand columns in laboratory conditions, finding they can be transported substantial distances in groundwater. The findings raise concerns about nanoplastic contamination of soil and aquifer systems, which are critical sources of drinking water.

2020 Chemosphere 49 citations
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

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

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

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

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

Nanoplastics dominate the cotransport of small-scale plastics in seawater-saturated porous media

Researchers found that nanoplastics dominated cotransport behavior when mixed with submicro- and microplastics in seawater-saturated sandy porous media, with particle-particle interactions significantly altering transport distances compared to single-component systems.

2022 Water Research 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Fate and transport of nanoplastics in complex natural aquifer media: Effect of particle size and surface functionalization

Researchers used batch and column experiments in a natural sandy aquifer to show that nanoplastic transport is governed primarily by organic matter coatings rather than particle size or surface chemistry alone, with suspended organic matter increasing mobility while dissolved organic matter reduces it — findings that improve predictions of nanoplastic contamination in agricultural groundwater systems.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 186 citations
Article Tier 2

How soil moisture and flow regime drive microplastic transport in the vadose zone: insight from modelling and column experiments

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through soil toward underground water sources that we use for drinking water. They found that plastic particles travel very differently depending on how wet or dry the soil is - sometimes getting trapped, other times moving quickly through the ground. This research helps us better understand how microplastics might contaminate our groundwater supplies, which is important for protecting drinking water quality.

2026
Article Tier 2

Studying the transport and retention of naturally occurring microplastics (MPs) in sandy soils using column experiments

Scientists used laboratory experiments to study how microplastics move through sandy soils, which is relevant for understanding whether they can reach groundwater used for drinking. The findings help assess the risk of microplastic contamination in underground water supplies.

2021
Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Earth-Science Reviews 17 citations
Article Tier 2

[Transport and Model Calculation of Microplastics Under the Influence of Ionic Type, Strength, and Iron Oxide].

Laboratory column experiments showed that calcium ions strongly inhibit the transport of polystyrene microplastics through quartz sand via bridging and charge neutralization effects, while iron oxide coatings on sand grains further reduce microplastic mobility through surface adsorption. Understanding these transport dynamics is important for predicting how microplastics move through soil and groundwater systems and assessing contamination risks to drinking water sources.

2023 PubMed
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

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

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 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

The individual transport, cotransport and immobilization with solar pyrolysis biochar of microplastics and plasticizer in sandy soil

Researchers tracked the individual transport, co-transport, and immobilization of microplastics in porous media, finding that plastic particle behavior differs significantly depending on surface charge and pore structure interactions. The results improve predictions of where microplastics migrate and accumulate in soils and aquifers.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
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