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The Impacts of Microplastics on Sorption and Desorption Specifications of Iron in Soil
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Laboratory batch experiments showed that high-density polyethylene microplastics reduce iron adsorption in sandy loam soil while enhancing iron release, with the effect varying by microplastic dosage, particle size, and pH. Altered iron cycling in agricultural soils due to microplastic contamination could disrupt nutrient availability for crops and indirectly affect food quality and human nutrition.
Global awareness of microplastics in soils, especially agricultural soils, is growing. Nevertheless, the effects of microplastics (MPs) on the sorption and removal of pollutants in farming soils need to be investigated. This study analyzed the role of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microplastics on iron (Fe) adsorption and desorption in soil. Batch experiments were performed in a sandy loamy field soil under different situations. Both sorption and desorption of iron in soils in the presence or absence of microplastics attained equilibrium within 120 min. The largest Fe adsorption amount was 997.03 mg/kg in the control treatment (no MPs). The Fe adsorption amount in the HDPE treatment was 932.05 mg/kg. The sorption kinetics of Fe confirmed the quasi-second-order model, and the sorption isotherm was more accurately adapted to the Langmuir model. In general, the adding of microplastics reduced iron sorption but enhanced excretion, and the results changed with microplastic dosage, size, and pH. The reduction of iron adsorption caused by microplastics and the increase of iron excretion were more noticeable at higher microplastic dosage and bigger particle size but changed with pH. Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) analysis affirmed the sorption of iron on the surface of microplastics. Both types of microplastic samples before and after Fe sorption indicated similar XRD schemes, showing that the microplastics had high crystallinity, and no new crystalline phase was created. As a result, the introduction of microplastics into the soil may increase the motility of iron by reducing the adsorption capacity of the soil, thus causing more risks to the agricultural ecosystem.
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Batch adsorption experiments showed that adding 1% polyethylene microplastics to two agricultural soils modestly increased copper adsorption capacity while altering desorption behavior in soil-type-dependent ways. This matters because microplastic accumulation in farmland can disrupt heavy metal cycling, potentially increasing bioavailability of toxic metals like copper in crops and the humans and animals that consume them.
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Researchers reviewed the physicochemical factors — including particle size, surface area, weathering state, and polymer type — that govern how microplastics sorb environmental pollutants, and examined the ecological implications of this vector effect for contaminant transport and bioavailability.
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Microplastics readily sorb potentially toxic elements including heavy metals and metalloids from surrounding water, acting as concentrated carriers of these hazardous substances through aquatic food webs. This sorption capacity amplifies the toxicological risk of microplastic ingestion for organisms, including humans who consume contaminated seafood.
Sorption of Potentially Toxic Elements to Microplastics
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Researchers reviewed how microplastics can adsorb toxic heavy metals from their surrounding environment, effectively acting as vehicles that concentrate and transport harmful elements. This sorption behavior increases the potential risk microplastics pose to organisms that ingest them, including humans.
Microplastics in Soils with Contrasting Organic Carbon Content and Clay Fraction Mineralogy: Effects on Copper and Phosphorus Adsorption
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Plastic mulch used in farming can break down into microplastics that stay in the soil, and this study found that these tiny plastic bits can make copper and phosphorus, common soil nutrients and contaminants, more likely to wash away instead of staying put. This matters because looser, more mobile copper and phosphorus can end up leaching into groundwater or nearby streams, potentially polluting the water we drink and use, especially in farmland already exposed to plastic mulch and these chemicals.
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