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Decomposition Rate and Microplastic Residue Formation of Photodegradable Resin-Coated Controlled-Release Fertilizers (CRFs)
Summary
This study tested whether adding titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as a photocatalyst to the polymer coatings of controlled-release fertilizers could prevent those coatings from leaving microplastic residues when they degrade. The TiO₂-containing fertilizer coating fully decomposed under simulated sunlight within 60 days with no detectable plastic residues, while the standard fertilizer only degraded 14–31%. Polymer-coated fertilizers are a major and often overlooked source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, and this study suggests photocatalytic coatings could eliminate that residue entirely.
This study investigates the decomposition kinetics and microplastic residue formation of the polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers (CRFs) LN40 and Eco-LN40 under simulated photodegradation conditions. Eco-LN40, containing TiO₂ as a photocatalyst, achieved complete decomposition (100 ± 2%) after 60 days of xenon-arc irradiation (p <0.05), whereas LN40 achieved only 14%–31% decomposition. Analytical characterization using TED-GC/MS, FTIR, and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that polyethylene (PE) signals completely disappeared in Eco-LN40 but persisted in LN40, indicating that microplastics did not form and that there was total oxidation into CO₂ and H₂O. SEM–EDS revealed Ti enrichment and surface fragmentation consistent with photoinduced radical oxidation. This study provides qualitative and mechanistic evidence that TiO-catalyzed photodegradation can eliminate polymer residues, mitigate the risk of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, and support carbon-neutral fertilizer technologies.