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Retention and migration of microplastics in stepped paddy fields: A study on microplastic dynamics in the special irrigation system

Environmental Research 2025 9 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 53 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Ying Wang, Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Jiayi Tian, Yang Yang, You Zhang, Xiaofeng Wen, Jiayi Tian, Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin You Zhang, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, You Zhang, Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Jianyong Chen, Xiaofeng Wen, Wei Zhou, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Yang Yang, Jiayi Tian, Jiayi Tian, Jiayi Tian, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Jiayi Tian, Xiaofeng Wen, Jiayi Tian, Jiayi Tian, Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, You Zhang, Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Zhilin Zhou, Xiaofeng Wen, Yang Yang, Xiaofeng Wen, Zhilin Zhou, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, You Zhang, Y M Liu, Ying Wang, Yang Yang, Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Ying Wang, Lingshi Yin Y M Liu, Ying Wang, Lingshi Yin Jianyong Chen, Ying Wang, You Zhang, Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Zhilin Zhou, Xinyu Wang, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Zhilin Zhou, Ying Wang, Yu Yuan, You Zhang, Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin Jiayi Tian, Jiayi Tian, Xiaofeng Wen, Ying Wang, Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin Yu Yuan, Xiaofeng Wen, Xiaofeng Wen, Peng You, Lingshi Yin You Zhang, Lingshi Yin Y M Liu, Y M Liu, Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin Xiaofeng Wen, Lingshi Yin Lingshi Yin

Summary

Researchers tracked microplastic movement through stepped paddy fields in China, finding that contamination increased significantly during the rice growing season. Microplastic abundance in soil nearly doubled from pre-planting to post-harvest, with irrigation water identified as the primary input pathway. The study reveals that the terraced structure of stepped paddy fields, while designed for water management, also influences how microplastics accumulate and migrate through agricultural landscapes.

Polymers
PE PP

The stepped paddy fields (SPFs) are important for food security and sustainable development. The unique spatial structure and complex hydrological processes in this system make it difficult to understand the migration of pollutants. In this study, microplastic pollution was investigated in the water and soil from Ziquejie SPFs, China. Samples were taken according to different stages of rice cultivation, different altitudes, and soil depths. Before rice planting, the average abundance in the water and soil samples was 1.3 ± 1.1 items/L and 292.2 ± 260.8 items/kg, respectively. After rice harvesting, the average abundance in soil increased to 495.37 ± 175.46 items/kg. More microplastics were found in depths of 0-15 cm than that of 15-30 cm, but the difference was not significant. Major microplastics were small (<1 mm) polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) fibers, with the main color of blue and transparent. The study found that SPFs hindered the migration of microplastics in irrigation water and hydraulic conditions affected the accumulation of microplastics. The edge areas in paddy fields where the water flowed slowly and were prone to vortices made it easier for microplastics to stay. Most of the microplastics accumulated in the upper SPF. After rice harvesting, the overall abundance of microplastics in the SPFs increased. Fibers and fragments exhibited different characteristics in migration. This study attempts to draw attention to the ecological risks caused by microplastic pollution in SPFs, especially in the upper paddy field and the effluent. The results are helpful for the protection of the SPF ecosystem and provide valuable references for future research.

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