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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Supplementary data for microplastic mobility in groundwater aquifers
ClearSupplementary data for microplastic mobility in groundwater aquifers
This study provides data and computer models to understand how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) move through underground water sources that supply our drinking water. The research helps scientists predict where these plastic particles will end up in groundwater systems. This matters because microplastics are increasingly found in drinking water, and understanding their movement helps us better protect water supplies and assess potential health risks.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Fate of Microplastics in Deep Gravel Riverbeds: Evidence for Direct Transfer from River Water to Groundwater
Researchers tracked microplastic particles vertically through gravel riverbeds using depth-profile sampling, finding that MPs move directly from river water into subsurface gravel sediments and onward toward groundwater, documenting a pathway for plastic particles to enter drinking water aquifers.
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.
Source data for microplastic mobility in groundwater aquifers
This is a data repository entry containing source code and data for a study on how microplastic particles move through groundwater aquifers, using a surface-energy model to calculate interactions between microplastics and quartz sand grains. Understanding microplastic transport through soil and groundwater is critical for assessing whether these particles can reach drinking water supplies. The data itself (not a full paper) supports research into a largely unstudied contamination pathway.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Distribution and transport of microplastics in groundwater (Shiraz aquifer, southwest Iran)
Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in groundwater from an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region of Iran. They identified microplastics in all sampled wells, with fibers and fragments being the most common shapes and polyethylene the dominant polymer type. The study demonstrates that groundwater, an important source of drinking water, is not immune to microplastic contamination and calls for more research on transport mechanisms in subsurface environments.
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.
Experimental field evidence for transport of microplastic tracers over large distances in an alluvial aquifer
Researchers conducted a natural-gradient field tracer test in a shallow alluvial aquifer and found that microplastic particles of 1, 2, and 5 µm diameter were transported over distances up to 200 metres, with breakthrough curves demonstrating that microplastics can migrate through groundwater systems over extended distances relevant to drinking water protection.
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.
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.