Elvira Colmenarejo Calero (Author), Manca Kovač Viršek (Author), Nina Mali (Author)

Abstract

Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles measuring less than 5 mm, are considered an emerging pollutant. Their presence in the water cycle and their interaction with ecological processes pose a significant environmental threat. As groundwater (GW) represents the primary source of drinking water, monitoring MPs in GW and investigating their potential sources and pathways is of urgent importance. This article offers a comprehensive overview of the primary contamination pathways of MPs from surface water, seawater, and soil into the GW. Moreover, it presents an examination of the occurrence of MPs in GW and identifies the challenges associated with their monitoring in GW. This study also discusses the difficulties associated with comparing research results related to MPs in GW, as well as indicating the need for implementing standardised techniques for their sampling and detection. On the basis of our experience and the literature review, we highlight the importance of understanding the specific hydrogeological and hydrogeographic conditions, collecting representative samples, using sampling devices with comparable specifications and comparable laboratory techniques for MP identification, and preventing contamination at all stages of the monitoring process. This review offers valuable insights and practical guidelines on how to improve the reliability and comparability of results between studies monitoring MPs in GW.

Keywords

mikroplastika;podzemna voda;vodonosnik;vrtina;vzorčenje;monitoring;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.02 - Review Article
Organization: GeoZS - Geological Survey of Slovenia
Publisher: MDPI
UDC: 556.3
COBISS: 194725635 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 2073-4441
Views: 25
Downloads: 4
Average score: 0 (0 votes)
Metadata: JSON JSON-RDF JSON-LD TURTLE N-TRIPLES XML RDFA MICRODATA DC-XML DC-RDF RDF

Other data

Pages: 22 str.
Volume: ǂvol. ǂ16
Issue: ǂno. ǂ9
Chronology: 2024
DOI: 10.3390/w16091228
ID: 23681547