Papers

20 results
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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

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

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

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

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

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

Polymer-specific transfer and retention of microplastics at the river–sediment–groundwater interface

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move from rivers into underground water that could become drinking water. They found that different types of plastics behave differently - some float and stay in rivers, while heavier plastics like those from bottles and pipes sink into riverbeds and can travel into groundwater supplies. This research is important because it helps us understand how microplastics might contaminate the underground water sources we rely on for drinking water.

2026
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

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

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

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

Rainfall-Induced Transport of Microplastics in Soils Depends on Soil Pore Structure

Scientists studied how tiny plastic particles move through real soil when it rains, finding that the soil's natural pore structure (like tiny tunnels and holes) determines how deep and fast the plastics travel. This research helps us better understand how microplastics spread through farmland soil, which is important because these plastics could eventually end up in our food and water supply. Understanding this movement is a key step toward predicting long-term health risks from microplastic contamination.

2026
Article Tier 2

Field Lysimeter Experiments for Tracing Microplastics Transport in the Unsaturated Zone

Scientists built outdoor test columns filled with sand and gravel to study how tiny plastic particles move through soil toward groundwater. They used different shapes of plastic pieces (fibers, fragments, and spheres) to trace how these microplastics travel underground under real-world conditions. This research helps us understand how plastic pollution might contaminate drinking water sources, which is important for protecting human health.

2026
Article Tier 2

Vertical migration of microplastics in porous media: Multiple controlling factors under wet-dry cycling

Researchers studied how microplastics move vertically through sandy soil during cycles of wetting and drying, testing four common plastic types at various particle sizes. They found that smaller, more hydrophobic particles migrated deeper, and that frequent wet-dry cycles and the presence of dissolved organic matter accelerated downward movement. The findings suggest that microplastics in agricultural soils could potentially reach groundwater, posing risks to underground water quality.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the vertical transport of microplastics in subsurface environments: Lab-scale experiments and field evidence

Researchers investigated how microplastics move downward through soil using laboratory column experiments and field sampling of groundwater. They found that heavier rainfall, smaller particle size, and fiber-shaped microplastics all increased vertical transport through unsaturated soil. Field samples confirmed the presence of microplastics in both soil layers and groundwater, suggesting that surface plastic pollution can migrate into underground water supplies.

2023 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic polymer type impacts water infiltration and its own transport in soil

Researchers conducted laboratory soil column experiments to examine how microplastic polymer type affects both water infiltration rates and the transport of the plastic particles themselves through soil, testing the two most commonly used agricultural microplastic types under controlled hydrological conditions. The study found that polymer type significantly influenced both water flow dynamics and microplastic mobility in soil, with important implications for predicting plastic fate in agricultural and natural terrestrial ecosystems.

2024
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

Overlooked yet critical pathways for microplastics input to soil and groundwater system: Transport mechanisms and simulation predictions in landfill environments

Researchers systematically investigated how microplastics travel through landfill soils into groundwater, examining the effects of particle density, size, polymer type, temperature, and salinity on transport. The study used column experiments and computational modeling to reveal that landfill conditions create overlooked but critical pathways for microplastic contamination of soil and groundwater systems.

2025 Water Research 8 citations
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