Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

First insight into microplastic groundwater pollution in Latin America: the case of a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico

This is the first study to investigate microplastic contamination in groundwater in Latin America, examining a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico. Researchers found microplastics at all six sampled locations and at multiple depths, confirming that groundwater is not immune to this type of pollution. Since millions of people depend on groundwater for drinking water, these findings raise important questions about microplastic exposure through water supplies.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Groundwater systems under siege: The silent invasion of microplastics and cock-tails worldwide

This review reveals that groundwater, a critical drinking water source for billions of people, is increasingly contaminated with microplastics from surface pollution seeping downward through soil. Unlike ocean and river pollution, groundwater microplastic contamination has received far less research attention, leaving major gaps in understanding how plastics migrate underground. The findings are alarming because contaminated groundwater directly enters drinking water supplies with little to no treatment in many regions.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

First insight into microplastic groundwater pollution in Latin America: the case of a coastal aquifer in Northwest Mexico

Researchers conducted the first investigation of microplastic pollution in groundwater in Latin America, analyzing six capped boreholes in a coastal aquifer in northwest Mexico for microplastic abundance, concentration, and characteristics. The study detected microplastics in groundwater samples, establishing baseline contamination data for this understudied environmental compartment and raising concerns about drinking water quality in the region.

2022 Research Square (Research Square) 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Global status, risk assessment, and knowledge gaps of microplastics in groundwater: A bibliometric analysis

This review analyzed 215 published studies on microplastics in groundwater and found that this area of research is still in its early stages compared to surface water studies. Evidence indicates that microplastic contamination is present in groundwater worldwide, but sampling methods and reported results vary widely. The authors identified significant knowledge gaps in understanding how microplastics move through underground water systems and what risks they may pose to drinking water sources.

2024 Groundwater for Sustainable Development 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in groundwater: a global analysis

Researchers conducted a global groundwater sampling study to characterize microplastic contamination in aquifer systems worldwide, investigating transport mechanisms and fate of particles in anoxic subsurface environments where knowledge gaps remain despite extensive research on surface water systems.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation in groundwater: Data-scaled insights and future research

This data-driven review of nearly 400 groundwater samples worldwide found that microplastics are present in both shallow and deep groundwater, with open groundwater sources showing higher contamination than enclosed aquifers. The findings are relevant to human health because groundwater supplies drinking water for billions of people, and the study identifies key gaps in our understanding of how microplastics accumulate underground.

2024 Water Research 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Groundwater in the age of plastic

This review examines microplastic contamination of groundwater globally, synthesizing studies on occurrence, transport pathways through soil and aquifer matrices, and the emerging implications for drinking water safety and groundwater ecosystem health.

2024
Article Tier 2

Global distribution, drivers, and potential hazards of microplastics in groundwater: A review

This review maps the global distribution of microplastics in groundwater and finds that contamination is widespread, with fiber-shaped particles and polyethylene being the most common types detected. The study highlights that climate change and local geology play underappreciated roles in how microplastics move through soil into groundwater, which is a drinking water source for billions of people worldwide.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Understanding Microplastic Pollution in Groundwater: Pathways, Health Implications and Solutions

This review examines how microplastics infiltrate groundwater systems through pathways including landfills, agricultural runoff, water treatment facilities, and aging plastic pipes. Researchers found that once in groundwater, microplastics can persist for long periods and degrade water quality while interacting with other subsurface contaminants. The study highlights that groundwater microplastic contamination is an underappreciated threat to one of humanity's most important freshwater sources.

2025 Water Environment Research 4 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic pollution in groundwater: a systematic review

This systematic review reveals that microplastics have been found in groundwater sources worldwide, raising concerns about drinking water safety. Detection methods and reported contamination levels vary widely, highlighting the need for standardized testing to fully understand the scope of the problem.

2024 Environmental Pollutants and Bioavailability 59 citations
Article Tier 2

Contamination, morphological and chemical characterization, and hazard risk analyses of microplastics in drinking water sourced from groundwater in a developing nation

Researchers analyzed groundwater from six coastal districts in a developing nation and found widespread microplastic contamination, with fibers and fragments of polyethylene and polypropylene being the most common types. Since groundwater is the primary drinking water source in many developing countries, this contamination represents a direct pathway for microplastic ingestion by millions of people.

2024 Frontiers in Environmental Science 20 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastics contamination of groundwater: Current evidence and future perspectives. A review

This review examines the current evidence on microplastic contamination of groundwater, which supplies drinking water to over 2 billion people worldwide. Researchers found that microplastics can reach groundwater through atmospheric deposition, surface water interaction, urban infrastructure, and agricultural soils, though detection remains challenging. The study proposes a new "Hydrogeoplastic Model" framework and calls for improved detection methods to better characterize microplastic fate in aquifer systems.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 225 citations
Article Tier 2

A bibliometric analysis on microplastic pollution in groundwater

Researchers conducted a bibliometric analysis of publications on microplastic contamination in groundwater, identifying 695 relevant studies published between 2011 and 2022. They found that while microplastic research has surged overall, groundwater as a specific focus area remains significantly understudied compared to ocean and surface water environments. The study highlights critical knowledge gaps in understanding how microplastics transport through and contaminate subsurface water sources.

2024 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Control strategies for microplastic pollution in groundwater

This review summarizes how microplastics migrate from soil into groundwater and the strategies available to control this contamination. Researchers found that microplastic concentrations in groundwater vary by region, with factors like soil type and land use influencing how particles travel underground. The study highlights the urgency of developing effective control measures since groundwater is a primary drinking water source for much of the world's population.

2023 Environmental Pollution 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Research advances of micro/nanoplastics in groundwater: occurrence, environmental impacts and control strategies

This review examines the emerging issue of microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in groundwater systems, covering their sources, distribution patterns, potential environmental risks, and removal strategies. Researchers highlight that the strong heterogeneity and complexity of underground environments make studying microplastic migration particularly challenging. The study identifies significant knowledge gaps in sampling methods and calls for more research into how microplastics move through groundwater aquifers.

2025 Environmental Pollution 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Review of Current Issues and Management Strategies of Microplastics in Groundwater Environments

This review synthesizes current knowledge on microplastic contamination in groundwater, identifying it as a substantially understudied environment compared to surface water and marine systems. The authors describe pathways by which microplastics enter aquifers and discuss management strategies for this largely invisible contamination route.

2022 Water 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Pollution in the Groundwater of Three Land Use Types, Southeastern Hungary

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in groundwater across three land use types in southeastern Hungary, providing data on the rate and distribution of microplastic contamination in a freshwater resource that has received far less study than surface water bodies.

2025 Sokoto Journal of Geographical Studies
Article Tier 2

Can groundwater geochemistry and contaminants of emerging concern help elucidating microplastic  sources and possible transport pathways?

Scientists found tiny plastic particles (microplastics) in underground water sources in Italy by studying how water moves through different soil layers. The research shows that these plastic particles mostly come from nearby local sources rather than traveling long distances underground, and they get trapped when they hit clay or other dense soil layers. This matters because understanding how microplastics move through groundwater helps us better protect drinking water sources and figure out where plastic pollution is coming from.

2026
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in groundwater: a global analysis

Researchers conducted a global groundwater sampling study — collecting approximately 300 litres per site from caves, boreholes, monitoring wells, and surface springs worldwide using a standardised filtration protocol — to characterise microplastic contamination in these poorly studied anoxic systems. The study presented first results aimed at closing a major knowledge gap about microplastic transport and fate in global groundwater resources.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Contaminación por microplásticos en el acuífero kárstico de la península de Yucatán

Researchers sampled water from cenotes and wells throughout the Yucatan karst aquifer and identified microplastic particles in every groundwater sample, with fibers comprising 94% of particles and concentrations ranging from 10 to 936 particles per liter, establishing that this primary regional drinking water source is universally contaminated with microplastics.

2022 Ecosistemas y Recursos Agropecuarios 13 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastics in Latin America Ecosystems: A Critical Review of the Current Stage and Research Needs

This systematic review of 196 studies reveals that Latin America, which consumes 8% of the world's plastic but recycles only 4.5%, has significant gaps in microplastic contamination data. Understanding the distribution of microplastics in Latin American ecosystems is critical for assessing potential health risks to the region's populations.

2022 Journal of the Brazilian Chemical Society 33 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overview of Microplastic Contamination in Groundwater: Sources, Transport Pathways, and Environmental Implications

This review examined microplastic contamination in groundwater systems, an area that has received less research attention compared to surface water. Researchers identified key sources and transport pathways for microplastics entering groundwater, including infiltration through soil and fractured rock, and highlighted the environmental implications for drinking water supplies.

2025 Journal of Geography Environment and Earth Science International 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution in groundwater: Case study - Slovenia

Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in Slovenian groundwater, which supplies drinking water to 98% of the population, characterizing MP occurrence, transport, and risk across multiple aquifer systems affected by urban, industrial, and agricultural activities.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Groundwater: Pathways, Occurrence, and Monitoring Challenges

This review provides a comprehensive look at how microplastics make their way into groundwater from surface water, seawater, and soil, and examines the challenges researchers face in detecting and monitoring them. The study found that a lack of standardized sampling and analysis methods makes it difficult to compare findings across different studies. Researchers emphasize the importance of understanding local geological conditions and preventing sample contamination to improve the reliability of groundwater microplastic monitoring.

2024 Water 20 citations