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Identification of factors influencing the microplastic distribution in agricultural soil on Hainan Island
Summary
Researchers surveyed agricultural soils across Hainan Island and found microplastics in every sample, with concentrations averaging 417 items per kilogram. The study identified soil pH, organic matter content, and temperature as key factors influencing microplastic fragmentation, while population density and tourism activity affected how much plastic entered the soil.
Microplastics (MPs) are ubiquitous in agricultural soils, but to what extent and how environmental factors determine the source and fate of MPs in agricultural soils is not clear. In this study, Hainan Island, which has different climatic conditions, altitudes, and land uses across the island, was selected to investigate the MPs abundance and the shape, size, color, and polymer type of the MPs in agricultural soils. The main focus was on the role of land use type and the identification of environmental influencing factors. The results showed that MPs were detected in all the soil samples across the island, with an abundance range of 20 to 6790 items kg and an average of 417 items kg. Fragments (46.8 %), MPs smaller than 0.5 mm (37.8 %), black MPs (48.3 %), and polypropylene MPs (56.8 %) were observed as the dominant MPs species. Significantly higher MPs abundance was found in mulched arable land, and higher contents of fibers and fragments were observed in woodland and paddy lands, respectively. With correlation and redundancy analyses, soil pH, soil organic matter content, and average annual temperature were found to be the main factors influencing the biotic/abiotic fragmentation of MPs. The regional population density, including tourism represented by the night light index, affects the input process of MPs. MPs transport and deposition were found to be affected by altitude, annual precipitation, and soil moisture content. This study represents the first large-scale study of MPs contamination in island agricultural soils and provides important data on the distribution, transport, and fate of MPs.
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