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Seasonal variations and risk assessment of microplastic contamination in agricultural soil and associated macroinvertebrates in Egypt
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Researchers conducted the first field investigation of microplastic contamination in agricultural soil and associated macroinvertebrates in Egypt's Sohag Governorate. They found that microplastic concentrations in soil were highest in summer and lowest in autumn, with earthworms accumulating more microplastics per individual than earwigs. Polyester fibers were the most common type, and the study highlights the importance of seasonal monitoring for assessing microplastic risk in agricultural ecosystems.
Contamination by microplastics (MPs) has the potential to rank among the world's most significant environmental issues. Despite the fact that MP contamination is a global problem, little is known about the time variation of MPs in agricultural soil and its faunal communities which represent a key role to risk assessment. This study represents a first field investigation regarding the MP concentrations in agricultural ecosystem in Egypt. Our study investigates the seasonal fluctuations of MPs in soil and its common fauna in a citrus orchard (Citrus sinensis) in Egypt's Sohag Governorate. Moreover, this work aimed to identify how feeding strategies and body size of the selected fauna affect the no. of MPs ingested. The greatest mean concentration of MPs in soil was observed in summer (664 ± 90.20 items/kg) dry weight. However the lowest was recorded in autumn (354 ± 70.92 items/kg). Aporrectodea caliginosa (earthworms) was more contaminated with MPs (6.84 ± 2.5 item/individual annually) than Anisolabis maritima (earwigs) (2.06 ± 0.86 item/individual annually). When comparing between taxa without considering the size of the organisms, earwigs showed higher MPs concentrations (ranged from 117.93 ± 5.23 to 244.38 ± 4.57 items/gm wet weight) than the earthworms (ranged from 25.62 ± 2.43 to 51.66 ± 4.05 items/gm wet weight). Our results found that blue and red colors were the predominant colors in the soil and the selected fauna. Also, polyester fibers (PES) were the most popular type of microplastics, followed by fractions of polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP). Interestingly, the reduction in the MP particles in the present taxa was observed compared to those in the soil. Pollution load index (PLI) value varied across seasons, with the lowest recorded in autumn due to reduced MPs abundance. The Hazard (H) index indicates a moderate risk (level III) due to high polyester abundance and a low hazard score (4) across all seasons. Our results represent a starting point for further studies on the impact of MPs on soil organisms in various agricultural soils.
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