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The Impact of Microplastic Pollution in Soils on The Uptake of Plant Nutrient Elements
Summary
A review study found that soil microplastic contamination interferes with plants' ability to absorb essential nutrients including nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium, with effects varying by plastic type, concentration, and particle size. This has direct implications for food security, as crops grown in microplastic-contaminated soils may suffer nutrient deficiencies even when adequate fertilizer is applied.
Microplastics are small plastic particles, ranging from 1 µm to 5 mm in size, composed of various types and proportions of polymers and additives. They have become an increasing environmental concern due to the pollution they cause in today’s world. The plants grown by producers in soils contaminated with microplastics may be negatively affected depending on the amount of microplastics present in the soil. In this study, which emphasizes this issue, the utilization of plant nutrients from the soil by wheat plants grown in soils contaminated with different proportions of microplastics was investigated. The wheat plant (Triticum aestivum L.), which holds significant importance in both domestic and global agriculture and is produced on a large scale by producers in the Thrace region, was chosen for the study. The NKÜ Lider variety was preferred due to its high yield, popularity among Thrace farmers, and resistance to drought and cold. The soils used in the study were obtained from production areas at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University campus, transferred to pots, and prepared as growing environments with 10 g microplastics / kg soil, 50 g microplastics / kg soil, and 100 g microplastics / kg soil, with three replications. Additionally, wheat plants were grown in a microplastic-free control environment with three replications for comparison. In the study, plant growth characteristics, such as plant height, moisture, and organic matter, were observed, while the levels of plant nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Fe, Cu, Zn, and Na) in plant samples taken for analysis were also examined. As a result of the study, the effect of different levels of microplastic contamination in the soil on the nutrient uptake of the wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) plants was revealed.
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