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Understanding the sources of microplastics in agroecosystems
Summary
Researchers challenged the widely held assumption that sewage sludge spread on farmland is the primary source of microplastics in agricultural soils, finding that unrecovered agricultural plastics such as mulch films likely contribute far more — suggesting pollution prevention efforts may be misdirected.
.truncate-component { position: relative; overflow: hidden; display: -webkit-box; line-clamp: 16; -webkit-line-clamp: 16; -webkit-box-orient: vertical; } .toggle-truncation-button { display: none; position: absolute; bottom: 0; right: 0; } Microplastics are plastic material that are less than 5 mm in diameter and are of great environmental concern. It is well established that microplastics are harmful to both terrestrial and aquatic organisms and can also serve as a vector for accumulating and transporting toxins. Several researchers have reported that biosolids from wastewater treatment plants (WWTP), which are used as fertilizers are the major source of microplastics to the agroecosystems. In this note, we make estimates from various plastics usage and disposal data to test a commonly accepted hypothesis that WWTP biosolids are the major source of microplastics in agroecosystems. Our results show that unrecovered agricultural plastics contributed to the microplastic load at a much higher level than WWTP biosolids, thus falsifying the hypothesis. We recommend that the use of biodegradable/compostable plastics, detention ponds to trap microplastics present in agricultural runoffs, and policy changes to reduce and recycle plastic usage to mitigate the impacts of microplastics in agroecosystems. ... Read more