Articles | Volume 30, issue 12
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3789-2026
https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-3789-2026
Research article
 | 
23 Jun 2026
Research article |  | 23 Jun 2026

From salinity to nanoplastics: redefining safe yield in strip-island aquifers under emerging contaminant threats

Tianyuan Zheng, Chunxiang Ma, Shaobo Gao, and Jian Luo

Related authors

Impact of occurrence conditions on NO3-N source apportionment in groundwater: insights from PCA-APCS-MLR and MixSIAR methods
Yang Liu, Jian Luo, Yajie Wu, Ziyang Zhang, Xilai Zheng, and Tianyuan Zheng
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 30, 1449–1462, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1449-2026,https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-30-1449-2026, 2026
Short summary
Modeling the long-term fate of injected CO2 in saline aquifers: An integrated framework coupling multiphase flow, dissolution, reaction, and ripening
Ruiqi Chen, Wenjie Xu, Yunmin Chen, Qingping Li, Tianyuan Zheng, and Bo Guo
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-715,https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2026-715, 2026
Short summary

Cited articles

Abdoulhalik, A. and Ahmed, A. A.: Transient investigation of saltwater upconing in laboratory-scale coastal aquifer, Estuar. Coast. Shelf S., 214, 149–160, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecss.2018.09.024, 2018. 
Al Harraq, A. and Bharti, B.: Microplastics through the Lens of Colloid Science, ACS Environmental Au, 2, 3–10, https://doi.org/10.1021/acsenvironau.1c00016, 2022. 
Alkindi, A., Al-Wahaibi, Y., Bijeljic, B., and Muggeridge, A.: Investigation of longitudinal and transverse dispersion in stable displacements with a high viscosity and density contrast between the fluids, J. Contam. Hydrol., 120–121, 170–183, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconhyd.2010.06.006, 2011. 
Alsumaiei, A. A. and Bailey, R. T.: Quantifying threats to groundwater resources in the Republic of Maldives Part I: Future rainfall patterns and sea-level rise, Hydrol. Process., 32, 1137–1153, https://doi.org/10.1002/hyp.11480, 2018. 
Amirmoshiri, M., Zhang, L., Puerto, M. C., Tewari, R. D., Bahrim, R. Z. B. K., Farajzadeh, R., Hirasaki, G. J., and Biswal, S. L.: Role of Wettability on the Adsorption of an Anionic Surfactant on Sandstone Cores, Langmuir, 36, 10725–10738, https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.langmuir.0c01521, 2020. 
Download
Short summary
This study explores how nanoplastics threaten the freshwater beneath small islands, which is vital for local communities. Conventional water management targets saltwater intrusion, but oceanic nanoplastics spread faster and wider, reaching wells sooner. Salt-based safety standards thus grossly underestimate nanoplastic risks. To protect island water, we must now consider this emerging plastic pollution when placing wells and planning pumping.
Share