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The Effect of Weathering Conditions in Combination with Natural Phenomena/Disasters on Microplastics’ Transport from Aquatic Environments to Agricultural Soils
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This review examined how extreme weather events like typhoons, monsoons, and floods transport microplastics from aquatic environments into agricultural soils. The study found that severe weather significantly increases the amount and variety of microplastics deposited on farmland through surface runoff, wind, and wave action, raising concerns about food safety as climate events become more frequent.
Concern over microplastics (MPs) in the environment is rising. Microplastics are generally known to exist in aquatic settings, but less is known about their occurrence in soil ecosystems. When plastic waste builds up in agricultural areas, it can have a negative impact on the environment and food sources, as well as have an indirect effect on all trophic levels of the food chain. This paper addresses the relationship between microplastics and the management of plastic waste, which contributes to their accumulation, and it describes the sources and the movement processes of microplastics in agricultural soils as a result of natural events and disasters. Evaluating the impact of weather on coastal microplastic contamination is critical, as extreme weather events have become more frequent in recent years. This study sheds light on how weather patterns affect the dispersion of plastic waste in terrestrial habitats, including the impacts of seasonality and extreme weather. According to the results of this review, typhoons, monsoons, rainfall, and floods contribute significantly more microplastics to the surface sediment through surface runoff and wind transport, particle redistribution caused by agitated waves, and fragmentation under intense abrasion forces. Severe weather conditions have the potential to disperse larger and more varied kinds of microplastics.
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How Natural Phenomena and Disasters Together with the Weathering Conditions Affect Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Agricultural Soils and in Farmlands
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This review examines how natural events — weathering, flooding, wind erosion, and extreme weather — interact with plastic waste to mobilize and spread microplastics through agricultural soils. As climate change increases the frequency of such events, the contamination of farmland and food crops with microplastics is likely to worsen, with downstream consequences for food safety and soil health.
Microplastics from Agricultural Soils to Freshwaters: Pathways, Loads, and Controls
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Researchers synthesized field surveys and modeling studies on microplastic transfer from agricultural soils to freshwaters, finding that while only a small fraction of soil MPs is exported during typical rain events, extreme storms and biosolid applications can generate fluxes rivaling other major emission pathways, with particle size, density, and shape strongly controlling mobilization.
Microplastics from Ocean Depths to Landfall: Typhoon-Induced Microplastic Circulation in a Warming Climate
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Typhoon events were found to transport microplastics from the ocean surface to coastal land areas, with storm-driven sea spray and flooding depositing plastic particles far inland. The study demonstrates that extreme weather events are an underappreciated pathway for redistributing marine microplastics onto terrestrial environments.
Soil erosion as transport pathway of microplastic from agriculture soils to aquatic ecosystems
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Researchers simulated heavy rainfall events on agricultural soils containing microplastics and tracked particle transport through runoff and erosion, finding that soil erosion is a significant pathway for moving agricultural microplastics into adjacent water bodies, with particle size and shape governing transport distance.
Impact of flooding on microplastic abundance and distribution in freshwater environment: a review
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This review examines how flooding events affect the movement and accumulation of microplastics in freshwater environments. Researchers found that floods can mobilize microplastics from soil and urban surfaces, redistributing them across rivers, floodplains, and sediments. The study highlights that extreme weather events, which are becoming more frequent, may play a significant role in spreading microplastic contamination that is often overlooked.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.