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Microplastic accumulation and transport in agricultural soils with long-term sewage sludge amendments
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This study examined farmland that received sewage sludge applications for 16 years and found that microplastic levels in the topsoil were about five times higher than in untreated fields. Microplastics also migrated deeper into the soil over time, with migration rates 20 times greater in sludge-treated areas. The findings demonstrate that long-term use of sewage sludge as fertilizer is a significant pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Land application of sewage sludge brings microplastic contamination to soil. However, studies regarding the occurrence and mobility of sludge-borne microplastics in soil are insufficient. In the present study, based on an experimental field, the effects of sludge application amount on the accumulation and migration of microplastics in 0-20 (upper) and 20-40 cm (lower) soil layers were evaluated. After 16 years of continuous sludge application (36 t/ha per year), the microplastic content and migration ratio in upper soil reached 6811 particles/kg and 148 %, which was about 5 and 20 times, respectively, higher than that of the control soil without sludge. The microplastics in upper and lower soil layers, were mainly 0.2-0.5 mm in size, mostly fibrous in shape, primarily transparent in color, and predominantly rayon in composition. Microplastic surfaces may persistently adsorb clay minerals and iron/titanium oxides from soil, posing potential environmental risks. Sludge application had a significant positive correlation with soil microplastic abundance, resulting in a good fit of predictive model constructed for microplastic accumulation in sludge-amended soils. These findings help to improve the knowledge on environmental behavior of microplastics in sludge-amended soil, and can provide a scientific basis for the regulation of microplastic pollution during sludge land application.
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After 24 years of use, researchers found that sewage sludge applied as fertilizer deposited significantly more microplastics in farm soil than mineral fertilizer, with substantial amounts migrating deeper than the plow layer -- down to 70 cm. Textile-related plastic fibers were especially common in sludge-treated soil, and smaller fragments moved deeper over time. This shows that decades of applying treated sewage to farmland creates lasting microplastic contamination throughout the soil profile.
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Researchers investigated plastic dispersal on agricultural fields 30 years after sewage sludge application, finding that macro- and microplastics persisted and migrated both horizontally and vertically in soil, demonstrating the long-term contamination legacy of sludge-based fertilization.
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Agricultural soils from 31 fields with different sludge application histories were analyzed for microplastics, finding significant accumulation in fields with repeated sludge applications and a positive correlation between application frequency and plastic particle counts. The study provides direct field evidence that sewage sludge fertilization is a major pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soil.
Microplastics in an agricultural soil following repeated application of three types of sewage sludge: A field study
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Researchers investigated microplastics in agricultural soil after repeated sewage sludge application, finding that sludge-amended soils contained significantly more small microplastic particles than unamended soils, with particle accumulation varying by sludge type.
Impact of sewage sludge application on soil microplastic accumulation and nutrient levels: Analysis of 22 years of data from central UK farmland
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Researchers analyzed a 22-year dataset from 5,323 fields in central UK to examine the relationship between repeated sewage sludge application and microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils, alongside changes in nutrient levels such as nitrogen and phosphorus. They found that microplastic concentrations increased with cumulative sludge applications while nutrients were taken up by crops, raising concerns about long-term plastic accumulation in farmland receiving sludge-derived fertilizers.
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