Distribution and transport of microplastics in groundwater (Shiraz aquifer, southwest Iran)

Despite the significance of groundwater to the hydrological cycle and as a source of potable water, very little information exists on microplastics (MPs) in this environment. In the present study, MPs have been determined in ten well samples obtained from an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region (Shiraz, Iran) following filtration, digestion and inspection under a binocular microscope. A total of 96 MPs were identified, and concentrations ranged from 0.1 to 1.3 MP L-1 (mean and median = 0.48 and 0.43 MP L-1, respectively) and exhibited a complex distribution across the area that reflected differences in land use and local hydrology and geology. The majority of MPs (about 70%) were fibres of <= 500 mu m in length, but fragments and films were present at some sites, and the dominant polymers were polystyrene, polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate. Coupling meteorological and water table monitoring data from the regional water organization and published information on aquifer hydrology, we estimate a lag time from precipitation to water table intrusion of between one and five months and groundwater velocity flows of between 0.01 and 0.07 m d(-1). Although the extent of retardation of MPs within the pores of groundwater is unknown, by considering empirical data and theoretical predictions on particle flow through porous media in the literature we surmise that MP residence times in the aquifer are likely to range from years to decades, thereby impeding any clear means of source identification. Nevertheless, and more generally, the consumption of potable groundwater may make to a contribution to MP exposure through ingestion.

Automated summary

This study detected microplastic particles in an alluvial aquifer in a semi-arid region, with an average concentration of 0.48 particles per liter. The dominant polymers were polystyrene, polyethylene, and polyethylene terephthalate. The study suggests that consuming potable groundwater may contribute to microplastic exposure through ingestion.