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Investigation of microplastic pollution on paddy fields in Xiangtan City, Southern China
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Researchers found that microplastic abundance in paddy seedling-raising fields in China was approximately nine times higher than in standard paddy fields, with transparent plastic films being the dominant type, suggesting agricultural plastic mulch is a major source of farmland microplastic contamination.
Microplastics (MPs) have become a hot issue of environmental pollution. However, insufficient evidence exists regarding the distributions and fates of MPs in terrestrial environment, especially in farmlands. The distributions of MPs in paddy fields were investigated in Xiangtan City, a typical rice production area in China. The abundance of MPs in paddy seedling raising fields was 3805 ± 511 n·kg, which increased by approximately 9 times than that in common paddy fields. Transparent films became the dominant forms due to the huge usage of mulching films, corresponding to that the proportion of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) increased to 17% there. Moreover, an industrial plant nearby also contributed considerably to the MP pollution; the proportion of PVC (33%) in the paddy fields nearby increased to approximately 4 times of common paddy fields, while polyvinyl alcohol (PVA; 13%) used as an important chemical raw material to synthesis in various applications was uniquely detected there. These results highlight the input of MPs from agricultural and industrial activities in farmlands. Their contributions to the MP pollution in farmlands should be continuously investigated.
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Characteristics of Microplastic Pollution in Agricultural Soils in Xiangtan, China
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Researchers characterized microplastic pollution in agricultural soils in Xiangtan, China, finding an average abundance of over 4,300 particles per kilogram of soil. The study found that rice paddies and vegetable fields contained different microplastic profiles, with polypropylene and polyethylene being the most common types, pointing to mulch film and irrigation water as likely sources.
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.
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.
Status, characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastics in farmland surface soils cultivated with different crops across mainland China
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Researchers conducted a nationwide survey of microplastics in farmland soils across mainland China, covering over 30 crop types in 109 cities. They found microplastics in all sampled soils, with concentrations varying by crop type, region, and farming practices such as plastic film mulching and irrigation methods. The study provides the most comprehensive picture to date of agricultural microplastic contamination in China and identifies the key farming practices that contribute most to soil pollution.
Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in soils with different agricultural practices: Importance of sources with internal origin and environmental fate
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Microplastic abundance and characteristics were examined in soils representing four agricultural practice types in Chinese farmland to evaluate the influence of land use on plastic particle accumulation. Microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied by agricultural practice, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation water source as key drivers of farmland soil contamination.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.