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Microplastics in liquid biofertilizers: An overlooked threat to agricultural soil?
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Researchers quantified microplastic concentrations in liquid biofertilizers and estimated their contribution to agricultural soil loading, finding that fragment-dominated particles in the 5–50 μm range represent a measurable but minor input compared with sewage sludge, though repeated long-term application could cause gradual accumulation.
for sewage sludge-amended soils, indicating that MPs from biofertilizer represent only a minor fraction of total soil MPs contamination. Fragments dominated the MPs composition (98%), with most particles in the 5-50 μm size range. Polymer identification was achieved for 71% of particles, with paint-derived materials being most abundant (23%). Compared with other biosolids such as sewage sludge, biofertilizers represent a minor but measurable pathway for MPs inputs to agricultural soils. Nevertheless, the dominance of small-sized particles and long-term accumulation highlights the need to consider possible adverse effects of repeated biofertilizer application on soil ecosystems.
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An Overlooked Entry Pathway of Microplastics into Agricultural Soils from Application of Sludge-Based Fertilizers
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Researchers analyzed sludge-based fertilizers applied to agricultural soils and found high microplastic concentrations (hundreds to thousands per kilogram of dry weight) that were transferred to soils after application, identifying this as an important but overlooked pathway for terrestrial microplastic contamination.
Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application
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Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 23 commercial organic fertilizers, finding widespread presence at levels that could meaningfully contribute to agricultural soil pollution when fertilizers are applied. The results raise concerns about organic fertilizers as an underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering farm soils and the food system.
Biosolid amendments as drivers for microplastic pollution in soil: Measurements and insight from multiple analytical methods in an agricultural field study
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Farms often spread "biosolids" (treated sewage sludge and animal waste) on fields as fertilizer, but this study shows that practice can also introduce microplastic pollution into agricultural soil, with fields that received sludge showing different plastic contamination than untreated fields. Since crops grow in this soil and microplastics can potentially work their way into our food and water, this raises questions about how common farming practices might be a hidden source of plastic exposure in our diets.
Biosolid amendments as drivers for microplastic pollution in soil: Measurements and insight from multiple analytical methods in an agricultural field study
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Scientists analyzed farm soil that had been treated with sewage sludge (a common fertilizer made from treated wastewater) years earlier, comparing it to untreated soil to identify tiny plastic particles left behind. This research provides detailed tools and data for detecting these microplastics, helping build the scientific groundwork needed to understand how farm fertilizing practices may contribute to plastic pollution in the food we grow.
Microplastic contamination of organic fertilisers applied to agricultural soils
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This study examined microplastic contamination in organic fertilizers applied to agricultural soils, finding plastic particles in multiple fertilizer types. Organic fertilizers derived from sewage sludge or compost can introduce microplastics into farmland, potentially contaminating crops and groundwater.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.