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Impact of plastic film mulching on microplastic in farmland soils in Guangdong province, China
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Researchers surveyed farmland in Guangdong, China's largest economic province, to determine how much plastic mulch film contributes to soil microplastic pollution. They found that fields using plastic mulch had significantly higher microplastic levels than those without, and the contamination correlated with years of mulch use. The study helps clarify the direct agricultural contribution to soil microplastic pollution in regions with many overlapping pollution sources.
Plastic mulch film is often believed to be a significant contributor to microplastic pollution in farmland soil, however, its direct impact in areas with high human activities remains unclear due to the presence of multiple pollution sources. This study aims to address this knowledge gap by investigating the impact of plastic film mulching on microplastic pollution in farmland soils in Guangdong province, China's largest economic province. The macroplastic residues in soils were investigated in 64 agricultural sites, and the microplastics were analyzed in typical plastic film mulched and nearby non-mulched farmland soils. The average concentration of macroplastic residues was 35.7 kg/ha and displayed a positive correlation with mulch film usage intensity. Contrarily, no significant correlation was found between macroplastic residues and microplastics, which exhibited an average abundance of 22,675 particles/kg soil. The pollution load index (PLI) model indicated that the microplastic pollution level was category I and comparatively higher in mulched farmland soils. Interestingly, polyethylene accounted for only 2.7% of the microplastics, while polyurethane was found to be the most abundant microplastic. According to the polymer hazard index (PHI) model, polyethylene posed a lower environmental risk than polyurethane in both mulched and non-mulched soils. These findings suggest that multiple sources other than plastic film mulching primarily contribute to microplastic pollution in farmland soils. This study enhances our understanding of microplastic sources and accumulation in farmland soils, offering crucial information on potential risks to the agroecosystem.
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Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film
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Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across three regions in China, comparing greenhouse and open-field cultivation that uses plastic mulch film. They found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by region and that the type of mulching practice accounted for over 34% of the variation in microplastic composition. The study provides important baseline data on how plastic film use in farming contributes to soil microplastic pollution.
Agricultural plastic mulching as a source of microplastics in the terrestrial environment
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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.
[Distribution Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Farmland Soil in Guyuan].
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Researchers analyzed microplastic distribution in agricultural soils in Guyuan City, China, finding concentrations ranging from 186 to 1,286 particles per kg, with greenhouse farming soils containing 35–229% more microplastics than open fields and PE and PP being the dominant polymer types. The findings raise concern for food chain contamination and demonstrate that plastic mulch film use in facility agriculture significantly increases soil microplastic accumulation.
Exploring the Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Typical Maize Farmland Soils With Long-Term Plastic Film Mulching in Northern China
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A survey of 225 soil samples from maize farmland with long-term plastic film mulching in northern China found widespread microplastic contamination, with abundance, distribution, and polymer composition reflecting the history of film use and agricultural management practices.
Contribution of mulch film to microplastics in agricultural soil and surface water in China
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Researchers developed a framework to quantify how much agricultural mulch film contributes to microplastic contamination in farmland soil and surface water in China, measuring the ratio of mulch-derived particles to total microplastics from all sources.
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