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Pollution Characteristics and Risk of Microplastics in Soils Related with Land-Use Type
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A survey of agricultural, industrial, and transportation soils found microplastics in 100% of samples, with agricultural land showing the highest concentrations up to 5,600 particles per kilogram, driven largely by plastic mulch films. Industrial and agricultural areas also posed the greatest ecological risk, highlighting the need for land-use-specific strategies to address microplastic contamination.
The environmental risks posed by microplastics (MPs) in soils have garnered global attention. Previous studies have mainly examined on the distribution of MPs in agricultural soils, which are heavily impacted by plastic films. However, knowledge about MPs pollution across diverse land-use types remains scarce. In the present study, we investigated the pollution of MPs in three types of soils (agricultural soil, industrial soil, and transportation soil). The results revealed that 100% of the soil samples tested contained MPs, with concentrations ranging from 50 to 5600 items/kg. Agricultural soils exhibited the highest abundance of MPs, while transportation soils had the lowest. Fragments and small-sized particles (0–1 mm) were the most prevalent types and sizes. Polypropylene (PP) and polyethylene (PE) accounted for 45.40% and 28.85% of the total polymer content, respectively. The primary colors of MPs were white and transparent (52.70%), followed by black (23.56%). Variations in plastic debris colors may offer clues about the sources of plastic pollution. Three evaluation methods were applied to evaluate the ecological risks of MPs in soils. The findings indicated that industrial and agricultural areas posed greater risks, underscoring the need for more targeted pollution management strategies for MPs.
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