We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Abundance, Source Apportionment, and Surface Characteristics of Microplastics in Agricultural Soil in a Flood-Prone Area of Central Bangladesh
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found microplastics in every agricultural soil sample from flood-prone paddy, potato, and vegetable fields in Bangladesh, with polyethylene film fragments dominating and particle surfaces contaminated with toxic heavy metals including lead, cadmium, and arsenic. The co-occurrence of microplastics and adsorbed heavy metals in food-producing soils creates compounding risks for soil health, crop safety, and groundwater contamination.
Evaluation of microplastic (MP) contamination in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in agricultural soil is vital due to the soil’s central role in basic food production for humans. In this experiment, MP was investigated in the agricultural soils of paddy, potato, and vegetable fields. The MP has been detected in every soil sample and the concentrations were varied from 3.33 ± 5.77 to 46.67 ± 25.17 items/kg with an average of 16.95 ± 11.79 items/kg of dried soil. The measured size range of MP was < 5–0.5 mm. The film-shaped polyethylene (PE) plastic was the major (9.58 ± 6.54 items/kg) type of MP. The principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (CA) have indicated several factors, like flooding, mulching films, and nearby urban areas contributing mostly to the MP concentrations in the soils. The morphological and topological investigation of the MP revealed torn edges, fractured surfaces, and the presence of pits in the MP. In addition, the surfaces of the MP were found to be contaminated by toxic heavy metals, like Pb, Cd, Cr, Cu, Zn, and As. The synergistic effects of MP and adsorbed toxic metals pose a potential risk to soil quality, food safety, and groundwater contamination.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic Contamination in Rice Soils of Guyana: Abundance, Characteristics, and Environmental Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found tiny plastic bits (microplastics) in soil from rice farms in Guyana, while nearby unfarmed land had little to none, suggesting that farming practices themselves may be introducing plastic pollution into the soil. Since rice is a staple food for millions of people, this raises questions about whether these plastics could end up in the crops we eat, though more research is needed to understand the actual health risks.
Review of microplastics in soils: state-of-the-art occurrence, transport, and investigation methods
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes sampling, pretreatment, and analytical methods for detecting microplastics in soil environments, noting that research has largely focused on contamination levels rather than behavioral dynamics and ecological impacts. The authors call for standardized testing protocols and predictive behavior models as microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils increasingly threatens food safety and ecosystem health.
Exploring Microplastic Distribution in Agricultural Soils and Health Risk Evaluation
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers mapping microplastic contamination in Bangladesh agricultural soils found plastic particles penetrating to at least 15 cm depth across mulched farmland, suggesting that common farming practices are driving microplastics deeper into the food-producing soil that grows our crops.
Microplastics in soil: a review on research status, sources, methods, and remediation strategies
AI summary Read the abstract
A comprehensive literature review found that soil microplastic research lags far behind aquatic studies despite annual MP discharge into farmland exceeding marine inputs, with synthetic textiles, tire wear, and urban dust as dominant sources entering soil via atmospheric deposition, sewage irrigation, and agricultural film use. The soil MP burden threatens food crop health, risks leaching into groundwater, and poses intergenerational health risks through nutrient disruption and potential plant-to-human transmission pathways.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed what is known about microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, noting that despite hundreds of millions of tonnes of plastic entering the environment annually, very little is understood about how microplastics persist, migrate, and affect soil ecosystems. This knowledge gap is concerning given that contaminated soil directly affects food crops consumed by humans.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.