20.500.12556/DiRROS-18882 Microplastics in groundwater: pathways, occurrence, and monitoring challenges 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. microplastics groundwater sampling monitoring aquifer borehole true false true MDPI Angleški jezik Ni določen Neznano 2024-05-09 03:34:56 2024-05-15 13:57:49 2024-05-16 03:34:01 0000-00-00 00:00:00 2024 0 0 22 str. no. 9 vol. 16 2024 0000-00-00 Zaloznikova Objavljeno NiDoloceno 0000-00-00 0000-00-00 2024-04-25 556.3 2073-4441 10.3390/w16091228 194725635 water-16-01228.pdf water-16-01228.pdf 1 2E0EF5A10FD8EF129B3B8AFBFCF621B1 a1b904a003c39c1acc1c9d96b0119fd0468751cfb5e4f8475b92196f856a2385 28ce287e-12b3-11ef-9c9e-001a4af901a5 https://dirros.openscience.si/Dokument.php?lang=slv&id=25949 Geološki zavod Slovenije 0 0 0