We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Assessment of microplastic pollution in agricultural soil of Bhopal, Central India
AI summary Read the abstract
FTIR analysis of agricultural soil in Bhopal, India detected 307.5 and 69.5 microplastic particles per sample across two farming areas, with polyethylene and polypropylene dominating, primarily sourced from agrochemical packaging and atmospheric deposition. The findings confirm widespread microplastic contamination in Indian agricultural soils, raising concerns about uptake by food crops and subsequent human dietary exposure.
Occurrence of microplastics in various environmental matrices is a global reality. Considering the significance of this fact, scientists are trying to identify and characterize this emerging contaminant in a variety of abiotic as well as biotic matrices, so that effective preventive measures may be adopted. Increasing plastic usage in agricultural practices in the form of packaging, mulching etc. have introduced this contaminant in agricultural soil as well. Therefore, present study was carried out in agricultural soil of Bhopal, Central India. Microplastics in agricultural soil were identified and characterized using FTIR spectroscopy, and further assessed for possible ecological risks. An amount of 307.5 ± 9.19 and 69.5 ± 4.95 particles were found in the 10 soil samples collected from each of the Bhauri and Kokta agricultural areas of Bhopal, respectively. Polyethylene and polypropylene were the most abundant microplastic polymers. Presence of these particles resulted in ‘very-low’ to ‘low’ hazard to the soil. Presence of plastic particles in agricultural soil of Bhopal was attributed to the littering of plastic packaging materials of various agrochemicals, and atmospheric deposition. Presence of microplastics may pose considerable risk to the agricultural soil, crop health, and subsequently to human health. Therefore, control measures to minimize plastic pollution need to be adopted.
More Papers Like This
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.
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.
Current Situation and Ecological Effects of Microplastic Pollution in Soil
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers synthesized existing knowledge on microplastic contamination in soils, finding that particles accumulate widely, disrupt soil ecosystems, and can enter food crops — yet soil remains far less studied than water environments. Closing this research gap is urgent because soil health underpins food production and microplastics in agricultural land could reach human diets.
Microplastics in Soil: An Emerging Threat
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed the emerging problem of microplastic pollution in soil, tracing contamination to agricultural practices, industrial activities, and atmospheric deposition, and examining downstream risks to ecosystem health and human well-being.
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.
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.