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Analysis of Slow-Released Fertilisers as a Source of Microplastics
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Analysis of slow-release fertilisers coated with polymer shells found that these products can release microplastics into agricultural soils as the coatings degrade. Two major manufacturers' products showed varying polymer compositions and differing abilities to adsorb soil contaminants, raising concerns about MP accumulation from fertiliser use.
One of the main strategies for improving the efficiency of agricultural production is the use of fertilisers with slow or controlled release of nutrients, in which the granules of mineral fertilisers are covered with polymeric shells. The composition of the polymer coatings of mineral fertiliser granules with slow or controlled release of two widespread manufacturers and their ability to adsorb some heavy metal ions on their surface were examined in this study. It was found that the base polymers used to encapsulate the fertilisers studied are the co-polymer polyethylene–polyacrylic acid in the Brand A, and polyacrylamide, polyacrylic acid, and its esters in the Brand B fertiliser coating. The maximum adsorption rate of heavy metal ions on the surface of the polymer coatings with the rest of the mineral filler of Brand A and Brand B fertilisers was 54.64 and 28.90 mg/g for Cd(II) ions, 30.77 and 14.03 mg/g for Pb(II) ions, respectively. Therefore, the solution to the problem of increasing the efficiency of agricultural production through the use of fertilisers with slow or controlled release of nutrients leads to environmental pollution by microplastics remaining in the soil after fertiliser application, which are also capable of adsorbing from the soil various toxic pollutants.
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Researchers digging up soil samples found tiny plastic coatings left behind from slow-release fertilizers, the same kind used on farms and lawns, building up in the ground. These plastic bits don't just disappear after the fertilizer does its job; they stick around in the soil, which matters because that's the same dirt growing our food and potentially breaking down into microplastics that can work their way into water and crops we eat.
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