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A long-term field experiment confirms the necessity of improving biowaste sorting to decrease coarse microplastic inputs in compost amended soils
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Researchers conducted a long-term field experiment in France showing that compost derived from poorly sorted urban biowaste significantly increases coarse microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils, confirming that improving biowaste sorting at the source is essential to reducing plastic inputs via compost.
Microplastic (MP) input into agroecosystems is of particular concern as their sources are diverse (mulching films, biosolid application, wastewater irrigation, flooding, atmospheric input, road runoff). Compost application, which is needed to sustain soil ecosystem services in the context of a circular economy, may be a source of microplastics. The aim of this study was to evaluate how different composts derived from urban wastes impact the nature and quantity of coarse (2-5 mm) microplastics (CMP) in soils, using a long-term field experiment in France. Composts resulting from different levels of urban waste sorting were investigated. Our approach included the isolation of microplastics from composts and amended soils followed by their characterization using pyrolysis GC/MS spectrometry. We found that coarse microplastic concentrations varied from 26.9 to 417 kg per hectare depending on the compost type, after 22 years of bi-annual application. These values may be higher than for conventional agricultural practices, as application rate was twice as high as for normal practices. Composts made from municipal solid waste were by far the organic amendments leading to the highest quantity of plastic particles in soils, emphasizing the urgent need for limiting plastic use in packaging and for improving household biowaste sorting. Our results strongly suggest that standards regulating organic matter amendment application should take microplastics into account in order to prevent contamination of (agricultural) soils. Moreover, although no impacts on the soil bio-physico-chemical parameters has been noted so far. However, given the huge microplastic inputs, there is an urgent need to better evaluate their effect on soil functioning.
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Microplastic pollution in long-term urban compost amended soils
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This study examined microplastic pollution in soils that had received long-term amendments of urban compost, finding significant plastic contamination from compost application. The results highlight that composting can be a pathway for microplastics to enter agricultural soils.
Microplastics and impurities in digestates and compost: A comparative study of waste-derived soil amendments
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Researchers analyzed five types of compost and digestate from organic waste treatment facilities over three months, finding microplastics in all samples at concentrations comprising 30–65% of total plastic content, with fibers, films, and fragments of polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET being most common — highlighting how even properly managed biowaste streams can introduce plastics into agricultural soils.
Biowaste Compost Amendment is a Source of Microplastic Pollution in Agricultural Soils
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Researchers found microplastics in Indian agricultural soils amended with biowaste compost, with concentrations increasing in proportion to years of compost application. Polypropylene was the dominant polymer type, showing that compost amendments can introduce microplastics into farmland soils.
Coarse microplastic accumulation patterns in agricultural soils during two decades of different urban composts application
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Researchers analyzed 21 years of soil samples from fields treated with three different types of urban waste compost to track how microplastics accumulate over time. They found that all compost types introduced microplastics into the soil, with distinct patterns depending on the compost source, and that certain plastic types persisted and built up over decades. The study suggests that long-term compost application is a significant pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
A long-term field experiment reveals the accumulation of high amounts of microplastics in soils amended with composted waste residues.
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A long-term field experiment found that soils amended with composted waste residues accumulated high amounts of microplastics over time. The composted materials introduced plastic particles into agricultural soils even after processing, raising concerns about contaminating farmland through organic waste recycling. This study highlights composting as an overlooked pathway for microplastic introduction to soil.
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