Modeling and parametric simulation of microplastic transport in groundwater environments

Abstract

Efforts to reduce the toxic effects of microplastics (MPs) on the environment have increased globally in recent years. However, the existing models used for the simulation of contaminant transport in groundwater are meant for dissolved substances, which is not suitable for studying MPs. Therefore, in this study, the transport of MPs in a saturated porous medium was modeled by establishing governing equations. Simulations were performed using the finite element method to examine the effects of the parameters of the governing equations on the transport of MPs. The results suggest that it is necessary to reduce the diffusivity of MPs and increase the water flow velocity, porosity, and first-order attachment coefficient to effectively contain this environmental hazard. From the simulation results, it can be derived that a combination of low diffusivity, fast water flow velocity, and high soil porosity may reduce the amount of MPs that are leaked into groundwater environments. The modeling and simulations performed in this study provide a clear understanding of the transport phenomena of MPs with applications in combating water pollution.