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Management of agricultural plastic waste in Portugal to prevent microplastics
Summary
Researchers examined the management of agricultural plastic waste in Portugal, assessing how mismanagement of plastics used in farming has led to soil contamination with microplastics and identifying practices that reduce plastic fragmentation and environmental release. The study found gaps between best practices and actual farm-level waste management that result in preventable plastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Since the 1970s, the use of plastics in agriculture has increased, generating massive amounts of agricultural plastic waste (APW) and its mismanagement is causing environmental impacts. APW lost in the soil can eventually fragment, generating micro and nanoplastics which persist for long periods in the environment, contaminating soil, water and plants, and affecting agricultural yields. A recent FAO report points out that the amount of plastic waste in soil is higher than in the sea and recommends urgent implementation of measures for its reduction and better management. Portugal lacks an integrated solution for managing APW and has limited knowledge about the actual extent of the agricultural plastics value chain, its impacts, and potential management solutions. A growing concern revolves around the generation and fate of micro and nanoplastics from agricultural plastic materials, which can infiltrate various trophic levels, potentially endangering human health. The Agri-Plast Project is a consortium of 14 entities, which aims to develop organizational and economic solutions tailored to the different sectors that extensively use plastic films in their farming practices, and comprises five tasks: diagnosing the APW issue, capacity building and stakeholder engagement, experimentation for innovation and demonstration, organizational models for APW management, and post-project governance and policies. The first task has already started, and a sampling campaign was carried out for macro and microplastics analyses in soil samples. These samples were collected from six project partners, and encompass different agricultural practices, while covering range of geographic locations of mainland Portugal. These preliminary research results will contribute with baseline data on the abundancy and characteristics of micro and nanoplastics in Portuguese agricultural soils and provide critical data for diagnosing the magnitude of the pollution associated with APW. Also see: https://micro2024.sciencesconf.org/559521/document