Soil water balance dynamics under plastic mulching in dryland rainfed agroecosystem across the Loess Plateau

Variability in Characteristics of Water Retention Curve in Polluted Loessial Soils by Polyethylene Microplastics

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Laboratory experiments showed that polyethylene microplastics at increasing concentrations progressively reduced water-holding capacity and altered soil water retention curves across three loessial soil types, with silty clay soils showing the greatest impact. Since agricultural plastic mulch use is widespread in arid and semi-arid farming regions, microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils may be degrading irrigation efficiency and water management in regions already vulnerable to water scarcity.

Distribution characteristics of plastic film residue in long-term mulched farmland soil

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Long-term plastic mulch in Chinese cotton fields builds up 78 microplastic particles per 100g of soil down to 60cm depth, all matching polyethylene. - 64867 — Microplastics are found throughout the ocean and in human bodies; scientists are still determining how harmful exposures may be. - 50228 — Electrochemical coagulation removed 98% of microplastics from agricultural runoff water within 45 minutes. - 49990 — Korean greenhouse and plastic-mulched farmland soils showed similar levels of microplastic contamination, dominated by tiny fragments under 300 micrometers. - 49896 — Microplastics in paddy soil reduced available nitrogen by up to 80% while slightly boosting enzyme activity, potentially affecting rice crop nutrition. - 81423 — Steel deformation during high-temperature stress relaxation differs by material: intergranular in pure iron, intragranular in hardened chromium steels. - 49437 — Even remote areas in New York's Finger Lakes receive microplastics via both rainfall and direct airfall. - 49350 — Microplastics alter how oil spills disperse in seawater, potentially complicating cleanup of marine oil spill events. - 49342 — Microplastics are entering karst cave systems that supply roughly a quarter of global drinking water. - 49339 — Atlantic mackerel and horse mackerel may selectively ingest microplastics mistaken for prey, concentrating plastics in commercially fished species. - 49311 — Weathering/aging changes PET plastic properties enough that calibration with pristine PET may not accurately measure aged microplastics. - 49155 — Computer simulations show microplastic particle shape heavily influences whether they sink or float, helping predict where plastics accumulate in water. - 48950 — Microplastics were identified in largemouth bass stomachs from the Mid-Atlantic using infrared microscopy. - 48816 — Certain bacteria can degrade or remediate micro- and nanoplastics in soil, offering a potential biological cleanup approach. - 48806 — Urban waterways are accumulating microplastics that act as carriers for toxic chemicals, compounding environmental risks. - 48805 — Case study of Brisbane River shows microplastics accumulate in urban river sediments and can be transported downstream. - 48434 — Microplastics in soil alter structure, nutrient movement, and may be taken up by plants, raising food supply contamination concerns. - 48295 — Overview of microplastic generation sources, detection methods, and mitigation strategies across different environments. - 48241 — Nanotechnology-based approaches using engineered nanomaterials may help accelerate breakdown of persistent plastic pollution. - 48130 — Microplastics in soil carry co-pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals, potentially amplifying combined contamination risks. - 48070 — Widespread microplastic contamination documented in Lagos Lagoon, Nigeria, threatening marine life and communities dependent on the lagoon. - 48033 — Single-use plastic straws on an Indonesian beach were observed breaking down into microplastics through UV, wave action, and abrasion. - 48021 — Non-degrading plastics accumulate for centuries; the Great Pacific Garbage Patch holds 79,000 tonnes of floating plastic across 1.6 million km². - 47973 — Microplastics found everywhere act as carriers for toxic pollutants including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, potentially delivering concentrated chemical doses to wildlife and humans. - 47966 — Review of environmental impacts of common plastic types and emerging degradation strategies amid worsening global plastic accumulation. - 60976 — Naturally derived adsorbents from plants and minerals can capture microplastics and other emerging contaminants from water and soil. - 59706 — Synthetic textile fibers shed during washing enter waterways in vast quantities, representing a major underappreciated source of microfiber pollution. - 59631 — Nanoplastics may disrupt gut microbiome and through the gut-brain axis potentially contribute to neurodegeneration, though the pathway remains preliminary. - 59219 — Microplastic ocean pollution directly undermines UN Sustainable Development Goal 14 (life below water) and threatens global marine biodiversity efforts. - 59702 — Detecting and assessing the toxicity of emerging pollutants including microplastics remains technically difficult, limiting understanding of their true environmental impact.

Mulch film to plastic debris: A survey of agricultural soils of Hebei Province, North China

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Farmers in China widely use plastic sheeting to help crops grow, but a study of over 300 soil samples found that leftover plastic fragments are building up in farmland soil, since most of it isn't properly recycled. The pollution was worse in fields that had been covered with plastic for 5-10 years, which matters because these plastic fragments can break down into microplastics that may end up in the food we eat and water we drink, making better plastic recycling practices important for protecting our food supply.

Impacts of Different Sizes and Concentrations of Polyethylene on Chemical, Physical, Mechanical, and Biological Properties in a Loess Soil

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Researchers found that adding polyethylene microplastics to loess soils in northern Iran significantly altered soil chemistry, density, structural stability, and microbial activity — raising concerns because these fertile agricultural soils receive heavy microplastic input from mulching plastics and open landfills.

Modeling agricultural plastic mulching: lessons from rivers in Europe and China