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Mikroplastik in der Landwirtschaft
Summary
This review paper explains how tiny plastic bits from farm materials like plastic sheeting, sewage sludge, and compost build up in soil, harm helpful organisms like earthworms, and get absorbed by the very crops we eat—meaning they can end up on our dinner plates. On top of health concerns, since plastic comes from oil, making and breaking it down also adds to climate change, making this a problem for both our bodies and the planet.
Microplastics in agricultural soil: Microplastics are found everywhere in the environment, from water and air to soil and even our food. In agriculture, microplastics enter through the use of plastics such as plastic films, sewage sludge, and compost, which are often contaminated with foreign substances like heavy metals and microplastics. Through tilling, soil organisms, and percolating rainwater, microplastics are drawn into deeper soil layers and further broken down. This alters soil properties, harms soil organisms such as earthworms, and impairs plant growth. Micro- and nanoplastics are eventually absorbed by crops and enter the human food chain. Plastics are primarily manufactured from fossil raw materials like crude oil. Their production, disposal, and decomposition therefore release greenhouse gases that exacerbate climate change.