Transport of micron-sized polyethylene particles in confined aquifer: Effects of size, aging, and confining pressure.

ABSTRACT: Contamination of groundwater by microplastics (MPs) is increasingly reported and attracts a growing attention due to their potential risks. To understand how MPs migrate into groundwater, many previous works have investigated their transport using man-made microspheres of few microns or smaller as models. However, MPs observed in the environment are more diverse in size, shape, and type, which may have different migration behaviors. In this work, the transports of irregularly shaped polyethylene (PE) particles in the sand packed column were studied. Small MPs (22-37 μm) generally have high mobility than large MPs (44-74 μm) but can also be affected by aging. Aging decreased the hydrophobicity of the MPs and increased their surface negative charge, which can facilitate the transport of MPs.

SUBMITTER: Chen X 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10391942 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature