NOMAD

Nano-/Microplastic Mobility and Contaminant Co-Transport in Groundwater – A Multiscale Study with Finnish Perspective: Nano- (plastic debris below 0.1 µm size) and microplastics (plastic debris with 0.1 µm to 5 mm size) pollution has emerged as a global concern and a critical environmental challenge of our time, because of their adverse environmental and health effects. They can enter groundwater from a variety of sources and pose a serious threat to drinking water quality. While the severity of water pollution by nano-/microplastics are recognized, their transport and how they carry pollutants in the groundwater are not fully known. To solve this, the NOMAD project, a cooperation between GTK and UEF, will 1) investigate the nano-/microplastic transport and their interactions with different pollutants by performing laboratory and field experiments, and computer simulations and 2) quantify the plastic contents in Finnish groundwaters. The results will help to gain a better understanding of plastics movement in the subsurface and will provide modeling tools to quantify groundwater pollution risks.