0
Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Environmental Sources Sign in to save

Microplastics in agricultural soils from a semi-arid region and their transport by wind erosion

Environmental Research 2022 101 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.
Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, Mahrooz Rezaei, Mahrooz Rezaei, Mahrooz Rezaei, Mahrooz Rezaei, Mahrooz Rezaei, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Haniye Pourmahmood, Andrew Turner Haniye Pourmahmood, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Andrew Turner Haniye Pourmahmood, Andrew Turner Haniye Pourmahmood, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Haniye Pourmahmood, Mahrooz Rezaei, Haniye Pourmahmood, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, C.J. Ritsema, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, Haniye Pourmahmood, Andrew Turner Haniye Pourmahmood, Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, Mahrooz Rezaei, C.J. Ritsema, Haniye Pourmahmood, C.J. Ritsema, Haniye Pourmahmood, Mahrooz Rezaei, Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, C.J. Ritsema, C.J. Ritsema, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Mahrooz Rezaei, C.J. Ritsema, C.J. Ritsema, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Andrew Turner Patryk Oleszczuk, C.J. Ritsema, C.J. Ritsema, Andrew Turner C.J. Ritsema, Patryk Oleszczuk, C.J. Ritsema, C.J. Ritsema, C.J. Ritsema, Sajjad Abbasi, Sajjad Abbasi, Patryk Oleszczuk, Sajjad Abbasi, C.J. Ritsema, Andrew Turner Andrew Turner C.J. Ritsema, Andrew Turner C.J. Ritsema, C.J. Ritsema, Andrew Turner

Summary

Researchers found microplastics heterogeneously distributed in agricultural soils from semi-arid Iran, with plastic-mulched and wastewater-irrigated fields both contaminated, and demonstrated that wind erosion can transport microplastics from soil surfaces to new locations.

Study Type Environmental

Despite the importance of agricultural soils, little is known about the fate of microplastics (MPs) in this environment. In the present study, MPs have been determined in soils and wind-eroded sediments from two vegetable-growing fields in the Fars province of Iran, one using plastic mulch for water retention (Field 1) and the other using wastewater for irrigation (Field 2). MPs were heterogeneously distributed in the surface (0-5 cm) and subsurface (5-15 cm) soils of both fields, with a maximum concentration overall of about 1.1 MP g and no significant differences in concentrations between either fields or depths. Fibres represented the principal shape of MPs, but spherules, presumably from wastewater, also made a significant (∼25%) contribution to MPs in Field 2. Analysis of selected samples by Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy revealed that polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and nylon were the most abundant polymers and that MPs exhibited varying degrees of weathering. Concentrations of MPs in this study are within the range reported previously for agricultural soils, although the absence of PET observed in earlier studies is attributed to the use of insufficiently dense solutions to isolate plastics. Deployment of a portable wind tunnel revealed threshold wind velocities for soil erosion of up to 7 and 12 m s and MP erosion rates up to about 0.4 and 1.1 MP m s for Fields 1 and 2, respectively. Erosion rates are considerably greater than published depositional rates for MPs and suggest that agricultural soils act as both a temporary sink and dynamic secondary source of MPs that should be considered in risk assessments and global transport budgets.

Sign in to start a discussion.

Share this paper