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Microplastic pollution and the related ecological risks of organic composts from different raw materials
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Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in 124 organic compost samples made from livestock manure, poultry waste, crop straw, and solid waste, finding that all types contained significant microplastic loads. Solid waste compost had the highest levels while crop straw compost had the lowest, and the particles showed signs of weathering and mineral attachment. The findings suggest that applying organic compost to farmland may be an underappreciated source of microplastic pollution entering agricultural soils.
Organic composts are considered emerging contributors to microplastics (MPs) accumulation in agricultural soils. However, MPs pollution in organic compost from different raw materials is unknown. This study investigated MPs occurrence and characteristics in 124 organic compost samples, including single feedstock (livestock manure, poultry manure, crop straw, and solid waste) and compound organic composts, and quantitatively assessed related ecological risks of MPs pollution. The highest and lowest MPs abundances were observed in solid waste (6615 items kg) and crop straw (1500 items kg) composts, respectively. Compost MPs were mainly 0.5-1 mm (39.5%), colorful polypropylene and polyethylene fragments and films, and polyethylene terephthalate fibers, and the input to farmland soils was 6.96 × 10 to 1.88 × 10 items ha yr. Regardless of feedstock, compost-based MPs of different shapes exhibited complicated weathering morphologies and adhered to some mineral colloids. The highest and lowest MPs-induced risk indices in solid waste (H = 134.3) and crop straw (H = 8.9) composts yielded hazard levels IV (high risk) and II (low risk), respectively, due to the different abundance of polymers with diverse hazard scores. These findings provide insights into MPs pollution in organic composts and a theoretical basis for the safe production and application of compost.
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Researchers analyzed commercial organic fertilizers made from different waste sources and found microplastics in 80% of the samples, with compost from mixed municipal waste containing the highest levels. The estimated amounts of microplastics being introduced into agricultural soils through these fertilizers exceeded previous reports. The study highlights the need for stricter regulations on organic fertilizer quality to prevent microplastic contamination of farmland.
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