Investigating the transport of environmentally relevant nanoplastics in the saturated porous media

Mondal, Rupam (2025) Investigating the transport of environmentally relevant nanoplastics in the saturated porous media. Masters thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Text (MS Dissertation of Rupam Mondal (20MS141)) 20MS141_Thesis_file.pdf - Submitted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (1MB)

Abstract

Production of plastic has accelerated in recent decades, together with an unprecedented increase in plastic waste due to inappropriate disposal practices. In the environment, plastic degrades to microplastic (<5 mm) and then nanoplastic (1–1000 nm). Nanoplastics are of specific concern because their large surface area and permeability facilitate a great increase in the transport capacity for pollutants. Although numerous studies have examined the transport of nanoplastics, the majority use engineered nanoplastics, which are not representative of those that are created through environmental degradation. This research emphasized environmentally relevant nanoplastics (eNPs) and investigated their transport and retention under natural conditions. eNPs have distinct differences in morphology and surface charge compared to engineered particles. Our findings indicated that ionic strength and humic acid influence eNPs transport in multifaceted manners, with their synergistic effects different from individual ones. Natural water sources such as river and groundwater promoted eNPs mobility but exhibited differently from trends observed in previous studies. Moreover, pore water from different soils—like alluvial, red, and black soils—exhibited unique effects on eNPs transport. These observations point out that engineered nanoplastics are not adequate to interpret actual behaviour, whereas eNPs offer a better model for environmental research.

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