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Are micro- and nanoplastics from soil-biodegradable plastic mulches an environmental concern?
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Researchers examined whether micro- and nanoplastics generated from soil-biodegradable plastic mulches pose environmental risks comparable to those from conventional plastics. They argue that when disposed of properly in soil or compost, biodegradable mulch plastics degrade relatively quickly, limiting the accumulation of their micro- and nanoplastic fragments. However, the study cautions that if these materials end up in aquatic or atmospheric environments where degradation is slower, they could still cause environmental harm.
Micro- and nanoplastics are inevitably generated from biodegradable plastics during weathering and degradation. In this perspective article, we discuss whether micro- and nanoplastics generated from biodegradable plastics, especially soil-biodegradable plastic mulches, are of environmental concern. The environmental risk of micro- and nanoplastics generated from soil-biodegradable plastic mulches depends on size, concentration, time of exposure, and polymer characteristics (e.g., surface charge and hydrophobicity), similar to that of micro- and nanoplastics from conventional plastics. We argue that micro- and nanoplastics generated from soil-biodegradable plastic mulches will likely not cause environmental harm if soil-biodegradable plastic mulches are disposed of appropriately into soil or compost, because soil-biodegradable plastic mulches can degrade in a relatively short time, limiting the accumulation and exposure of generated micro- and nanoplastics in the terrestrial environment. However, micro- and nanoplastics from soil-biodegradable plastic mulches can be of concern when inappropriate disposal or off-site transport to atmospheric and aquatic environments happens. In such cases, the micro- and nanoplastics can no longer degrade readily and may have environmental impacts.
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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.