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Microplastic Characterization in Soil Samples in Urban and Rural Areas of Eskişehir
Summary
This study sampled soils from urban and rural areas in Eskişehir, Turkey, and characterized the types, sizes, and abundance of microplastics found. Both urban and rural soils contained microplastics, with higher concentrations in urban areas. The findings add to the growing evidence that terrestrial microplastic contamination is widespread in both developed and undeveloped land.
Plastics, which are widely used in daily life, are preferred in many areas from the construction sector to the textile sector due to some of their features such as ease of processing and being economical. Nearly 9 million tons of plastic have been produced so far, most of which is emitted as pollution. These plastics, which turn into particles smaller than 5 mm called "microplastic" by exposure to some physical effects such as sunlight, wind and waves, increase pollution due to their smaller size and densities and spread to much wider areas. Microplastics, which can be formed by the disintegration of large-sized plastics, threaten the living and non-living environment with their non-degradable structures. The severity of microplastic pollution, which can be defined as invisible pollution, should be better understood and awareness should be raised about the impact of its negative consequences. The aim of this study is to reveal the microplastic pollution in soil environments of rural and urban areas in Eskişehir. In the study, soil samples taken from urban and rural areas were visually analyzed. As a result, it was observed that the microplastic density was higher in urban samples. In addition, by visual analysis of microplastics, it was determined that the most common type was fiber type, and black colored microplastics were seen most frequently.