We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
(Micro)plastics from erosion control engineering in China: Environment pollution and prevention strategies
Summary
This study highlights that erosion control engineering projects in China — which use large amounts of plastic mesh, bags, and geocells — are a significant but underrecognized source of microplastic pollution. As these plastic products degrade outdoors, they shed fragments that contaminate soil and nearby waterways.
(Micro)plastics are ubiquitous in our daily lives and are becoming a global emerging pollutant with significant threat to ecosystem sustainability. Within the field of soil erosion control engineering (ECE) in China, a wide range of plastic products, such as plastic mesh, planting bags, and plastic geocells, are extensively employed to stable the topsoil and facilitate the restoration of disturbed land. In this paper, we demonstrate the wide distribution of (micro)plastics in ECE across varied landscapes in China, highlighting their relatively high degradation rate induced by ultraviolet irradiation and mechanical disturbance. Furthermore, (micro)plastics in ECE exhibit a propensity for transport through soil erosion processes, thereby heightening the pollution risk to aquatic ecosystems. While the presence of (micro)plastics in ECE raises significant environmental concerns, there could be straightforward and easily implementable preventive strategies. These strategies include meticulous managing plastic usage during the design and completion phases of ECE, replacing plastic materials with biodegradable alternatives, and cleaning and retrieving temporary work materials.
Sign in to start a discussion.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics pollution in the soil mulched by dust-proof nets: A case study in Beijing, China
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in soils covered by dust-proof nets used on construction sites in Beijing, China. They found that the nets themselves were a source of microplastic contamination, with fiber-type particles being the most abundant in the underlying soil. The study identifies construction site dust-control measures as a previously overlooked source of microplastic pollution in urban soils.
Assessment of microplastic release from geofabrics used in erosion control at construction sites
Construction sites using polyester geofabric for erosion control were found to shed an estimated 1.7 million PET microplastic fibers per rain event into nearby waterways, even when stormwater management systems captured more than 90% of particles. The study demonstrates that geofabrics — a largely overlooked source — can be a substantial contributor to urban microplastic pollution, and that existing best management practices are insufficient to prevent millions of fibers from reaching aquatic environments during each major rainfall.
Potential sources and occurrence of macro-plastics and microplastics pollution in farmland soils: A typical case of China
This review examines plastic pollution in Chinese farmland soils, finding that agricultural practices like mulch film use and sewage sludge application are major sources of both macro- and microplastics that accumulate over time.
Microplastic pollution from protective measures in urban construction should not be overlooked: A case study in Changzhou, China
Researchers found that dust-proof netting used in urban construction sites in Changzhou, China, is a significant source of soil microplastics, with covered soil containing 3.2 times more microplastics (mean 4,140.7 items/kg) than adjacent uncovered soil. Raman spectroscopy confirmed polyethylene as the dominant polymer, directly linking the netting material to soil contamination in rapidly urbanizing areas.
Agricultural plastic mulching as a source of microplastics in the terrestrial environment
Researchers analyzed 384 soil samples from 19 Chinese provinces and found that macroplastic fragments were concentrated in agricultural fields with plastic mulch film use, providing large-scale field evidence linking agricultural mulching to terrestrial plastic contamination.