New insights from correlation analysis of microplastics on strawberry surfaces with microplastics in air and pesticides

With the global increase in plastic pollution, microplastic contamination of agricultural products has become an emerging environmental issue that threatens food safety. In this study, linear analysis combined with principal component analysis was used to determine the correlation between microplastics in air and pesticides and the abundance and components of microplastics on the surface of strawberries, which fills the gap of traceability studies of microplastics on the surface of agricultural products. A high correlation coefficient of 0.65 was observed between microplastics on strawberry surfaces and the microplastic abundance in the air; however, the correlation coefficient with the abundance of microplastics in pesticides was only 0.30, which was weak. Polypropylene, polyamide and polyethylene were the polymers detected in the largest proportion of all experimental samples. Polypropylene had the highest percentage of detections in air and pesticides at 70.66 % and 74.04 %, respectively. The percentages of polypropylene, polyamide and polyethylene on strawberry surfaces were 36.97 %, 29.20 % and 17.36 %, respectively. This study provides scientific support for the formulation of microplastic limit standards for agricultural products and the optimization of agricultural production norms, which is of strategic significance for guaranteeing food safety and promoting the sustainable development of agriculture.