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Microplastic contamination in cotton soils following long-term mulching: A field study for the Xinjiang production and construction corps in China
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Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation across agricultural soils in Xinjiang, China — a major mulch film use region — finding that microplastic abundance positively correlates with mulching duration and that geographical and social factors drive north-south differences in contamination levels.
• MPs abundance generally positively correlates with the duration of mulching film use. • Geographical factors determine the main differences of microplastics in the North and South of Xinjiang. • Social factors significantly affect the abundance of microplastics in regions. Long-term (≥15 years) plastic mulching in agriculture has created significant microplastics (MPs) pollution in global soils, yet the spatio-temporal dynamics of MPs in arid agroecosystems remain poorly understood. This study investigated MP accumulation across a major mulch film use region—Xinjiang, China—by analyzing soils from 22 sites across six divisions. Our results revealed substantial MP pollution, with abundance ranging from 120 ± 14.14 to 4220 ± 551.54 items/kg. MP abundance showed a strong positive correlation with mulching duration, supported by Pearson correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.881 to 0.998 across five divisions (all p < 0.001). After 30 years of mulching, northern Xinjiang exhibited an average MP abundance of 3890 items/kg, which was 2.58 times that of the southern Xinjiang (1509.67 items/kg) (t=9.956 p < 0.01). Film-shaped MPs dominated overall (75.8%), though their prevalence was higher in northern regions, whereas fiber-shaped MPs were relatively enriched in the south, likely due to precipitation-driven transport. Smaller MPs (<1000 μm) predominated, accounting for 79.25% of all particles, with a greater proportion of <500 μm MPs in southern Xinjiang (56.06% vs. 40.25% in the north), suggesting accelerated fragmentation under warmer and more irradiated conditions. Both agricultural film consumption (r = 0.785, p = 0.021) and population density (r = 0.635) correlated with MP distribution, highlighting intertwined agricultural and socioeconomic drivers. This study provides the first comprehensive regional-scale quantification of MP patterns in arid croplands, offering empirical evidence to guide targeted pollution control policies in Xinjiang and other plastic-intensive arid regions worldwide.
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Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils of Xinjiang, China increases significantly with mulching history, with fields mulched for over 20 years containing substantially more microplastics across all soil layers.
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Agricultural soils in Xinjiang, China, were surveyed for microplastic contamination, revealing widespread presence in major farming regions where plastic mulch films and irrigation systems are heavily used. The study provides one of the first regional-scale assessments of microplastic pollution in this important agricultural area.
Effects of plastic mulching on the accumulation and distribution of macro and micro plastics in soils of two farming systems in Northwest China.
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This study investigated how plastic mulching practices in Northwest China affect the accumulation and soil distribution of macro and microplastics in agricultural fields. Plastic fragments from degraded mulch films were found throughout the soil profile, with farming system and management practices influencing the extent of plastic contamination.
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Researchers measured microplastic distribution in plastic-mulched farmland soils in Xinjiang, China, finding that plastic particles concentrate in the top soil layer where mulch films fragment. The dominant polymer found was polyethylene, consistent with the plastic mulch films widely used in agriculture across the region.
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