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Urban waste dominates microplastic pollution in Ethiopian irrigated farmlands: Evidence from FTIR spectroscopy, random forest classification, and farmer surveys
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Researchers found that farmland near Hawassa, Ethiopia, irrigated with city water is loaded with tiny plastic bits (microplastics) that mostly come from urban trash rather than farming supplies like plastic mulch. This matters because these plastics can end up in crops grown for food, and since irrigation water carries city waste onto farmland, it raises concerns about plastic particles entering our food supply in places where waste management systems are still developing.
Microplastic (MP) pollution in agricultural systems is a growing global problem, yet it has been understudied in sub-Saharan Africa. Here, we present the first detailed study of microplastic pollution in irrigated agricultural lands near Hawassa City, Ethiopia, using both environmental sample ...
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Are Agricultural Soils Dumps for Microplastics of Urban Origin?
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Researchers investigated whether agricultural soils serve as dumping grounds for urban-origin microplastics, finding evidence that sewage sludge application and atmospheric deposition deliver city-sourced plastics to farmland.
Significant influence of land use types and anthropogenic activities on the distribution of microplastics in soil: A case from a typical mining-agricultural city
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Scientists surveyed microplastic pollution across five types of land in a Chinese mining-agricultural city and found the highest levels in greenhouse farmland, with nearly 3,738 particles per kilogram of soil. Agricultural plastic waste, irrigation water, and fertilizers were identified as the main sources of contamination. The study shows that farming practices are major contributors to microplastic buildup in the soil that produces our food.
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Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in drinking water from rural and urban sources in Mali, Africa, finding microplastics in all samples and identifying higher concentrations in urban supplies, with implications for human health in a region with limited water treatment infrastructure.
Diversity and quantity of macro-and microplastics in irrigation farms sourcing water from an urban river: a case of Arusha Tanzania
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This study assessed the quantity and diversity of macro- and microplastics in smallholder irrigation farms sourcing water from an urban river in Arusha, Tanzania. Plastics were found in both the river and farm soils, with agricultural and urban waste identified as key sources.
A neglected transport of plastic debris to cities from farmland in remote arid regions
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Researchers found that wind erosion in semiarid farmland regions transports significant quantities of plastic debris, including microplastics, to distant urban areas, identifying a previously neglected long-range transport pathway in arid environments.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.