Shedding light on the invisible: addressing the potential for groundwater contamination by plastic microfibers

• Published in: Hydrogeology journal Vol. 27; no. 7; pp. 2719 - 2727
• Main Author: Re, Viviana
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01-11-2019; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aquatic Pollution; Aquifer management; Aquifer recharge; Aquifer systems; Aquifers; Bioaccumulation; Contaminants; Contamination; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Environmental assessment; Fibers; Geology; Geophysics/Geodesy; Greywater; Groundwater; Groundwater pollution; Groundwater recharge; Hydrogeology; Hydrology/Water Resources; Infiltration; Influent streams; Injection; Leaching; Marine pollution; Metals; Microfibers; Microplastic pollution; Microplastics; Oceans; Organic chemistry; Organizations; Outflow; Persistent organic pollutants; Plastic pollution; Pollutants; Pollution; Pores; Rivers; Rural areas; Septic tanks; Soil; Soil contamination; Soil investigations; Standardization; Surface water; Waste Water Technology; Wastewater; Wastewater treatment; Wastewater treatment plants; Water Management; Water pollution; Water Pollution Control; Water Quality/Water Pollution; Groundwater monitoring; Microplastic; Water-resources conservation; Emerging pollutants; Contamination
• ISSN: 1431-2174; 1435-0157
• DOI: 10.1007/s10040-019-01998-x

The processes of microplastic fiber pollution in groundwater are unknown. The recent research on this contaminant threat is generally focused on surface waters (mainly oceans and rivers), while aquifer contamination is only marginally mentioned as an issue needing further investigation. Synthetic microfibers can be introduced into soils in different ways (e.g. wastewater treatment plants or greywater discharge, septic tank outflows, direct injection of contaminated water in cases of managed aquifer recharge, losing streams, etc.), and can thus reach aquifer systems due to leaching or infiltration in soil pores. Microfibers can then adsorb persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals, which include persistent organic pollutants and metals, and become a carrier of harmful substances in the aquifer system, hence contributing to the overall contamination in both urban and rural areas. For this reason, it is of paramount importance, not only to assess the occurrence and fate of microplastic fibers in groundwater, but also to study the role of microplastics as carriers of contaminants within the aquifer and to advance standardization and organization of monitoring campaigns. Only by addressing these key challenges can hydrogeologists contribute to the state of the art on microplastic pollution and ensure that groundwater is not neglected in the environmental assessments tackling this contaminant of emerging concern.