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Prediction of future microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils
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Using nearly 180 years of data from a long-running British wheat experiment, researchers predicted that fertilized agricultural soils could reach microplastic concentrations of about 169 mg per kilogram in 50 years and 1,159 mg per kilogram in 100 years. These future levels are approaching the concentrations already used in lab experiments that show harmful effects on soil organisms. The findings highlight an urgent need to address the steady buildup of microplastics in the farmland that grows our food.
This study shows the general exponential rise in microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils, with fertilizer application speeding up this increase, and future predictions of microplastic concentrations. Utilizing data from the Broadbalk winter wheat experiment at Rothamsted Research, UK, from 1846 to 2022, Poisson regression models were applied to microplastic counts under different soil treatments, including farmyard manure, inorganic fertilizers, and control conditions. A mass conversion factor was applied to obtain the w/w relationship. Results indicated a significant annual increase in microplastic concentrations across all treatments, with fertilized soils showing a notably higher accumulation rate. Our study forecasts that, in 50 and 100 years from now, soils treated with fertilizers are expected to reach microplastic concentrations of 168.9 mg kg-1 (95% CI: 60.32-473.09) and 1159 mg kg-1 (95% CI: 200.49-6699.8) respectively, levels converging on those used in many experiments. This highlights the urgent need for strategies to mitigate microplastic pollution in agricultural fields. The results also help to choose predicted concentrations in global change experiments, as well as to motivate further research to explore the mechanisms of microplastic accumulation and the integration of these insights into broader agricultural and ecological models to guide sustainable practices and environmental conservation.
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Agricultural fertilisers contribute substantially to microplastic concentrations in UK soils
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Researchers analyzed soil samples from UK agricultural fields collected between 1966 and 2022, finding that microplastic concentrations increased significantly faster in soils treated with fertilizers — both organic and inorganic — compared to untreated soils. The findings identify agricultural fertilizers as a major, often overlooked source of microplastic buildup in farmland soils.
Global concentrations of microplastic in soils, a review
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Tiny plastic particles called microplastics are showing up in soils around the world, and this study rounds up existing research to see how much is out there, especially in farmland. This matters because soil is where our food grows, so understanding microplastic buildup there is an important step toward figuring out if it could end up in our meals and affect our health. Note that this paper mainly organizes what scientists already know rather than presenting brand-new findings.
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.
Sources, environmental fate, and impacts of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils: A comprehensive review
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This review examines how microplastics from fertilizers, irrigation, and atmospheric fallout are contaminating agricultural soils worldwide. Once in the soil, microplastics interact with soil organisms, disrupt plant growth, and can carry other harmful chemicals deeper into the environment. Because these tiny plastics can move up the food chain, they represent a growing threat to both food safety and human health.
Microplastics in the agricultural soils: Pollution behavior and subsequent effects
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics accumulate in farmland through fertilizers, irrigation, plastic mulch, and atmospheric fallout. Microplastics change soil structure, harm beneficial microbes, and can be taken up by crops, moving through the food chain to humans. The authors emphasize that more research is needed to understand the long-term health risks of eating food grown in microplastic-contaminated soil.
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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.