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Microplastic Pollution In Agricultural Lands And Its Environmental Impact Assessed Through Remote Sensing
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Researchers combined field sampling and remote sensing to assess microplastic pollution in agricultural soils across three Indian locations, finding microplastics in both surface and subsurface layers and correlating pollution levels with land use patterns detectable by satellite imagery.
Microplastic pollution in agricultural soils is a new environmental threat with significant implications for soil health, crop productivity, and ecosystem stability. In this study we examine the magnitude and effects of microplastics in agricultural lands in three diverse locations in India: Amritsar, Varanasi, and Nadia, using a hybrid methodology of field sampling, laboratory analysis, and remote sensing. Soil samples were obtained from the surface (0–10 cm) and subsurface layers (10–30 cm), then characterized by microplastic abundance, morphology and polymer type (using FTIR spectroscopy). Amritsar had the highest surface concentration (182.4 particles/kg), followed by Varanasi (137.6 particles/kg) and Nadia (125.2 particles/kg). Polyethylene (32%) and polypropylene (25%) were the most common polymer types in the samples, mostly as fragments and fibers. In the remotely sensed data the NDVI (normalized difference vegetation index) and SMI (soil moisture index) were lower in the contaminated zones--Amritsar showing an NDVI value of 0.52 nd SMI of 0.37 which is indicative of vegetation stress and decreased soil moisture retention respectively. The existing spatial analysis highlighted the microplastic abundance (hotspot areas) associated with intensive use and irrigation patterns of plastics. Our accompanying field evidence and satellite data indicate that remote sensing could provide a practical analysis at scale for assessing microplastic pollution contamination in terrestrial ecosystems.
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