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More than 1,200 tonnes of microplastics are dumped into Aussie farmland every year from wastewater sludge
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Researchers estimated that more than 1,200 tonnes of microplastics are applied to Australian farmland every year through treated wastewater sludge used as fertilizer. The findings add to growing evidence that biosolids are a major pathway for microplastic contamination of agricultural soil and, ultimately, the food supply.
We must stop using biosolids for farmlands immediately, especially when alternative ways to recycle wastewater sludge already exist.
More Papers Like This
Australians are washing microplastics down the drain and it’s ending up on our farms
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Researchers sampled sewage sludge from 13 Australian wastewater treatment plants and found that microplastics routinely survive treatment and are spread onto farmland when dried sludge is used as fertilizer. The study estimates that every resident contributes to this pathway, making biosolid application a major route for agricultural microplastic contamination.
We have no idea how much microplastic is in Australia’s soil (but it could be a lot)
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Scientists warn that Australian soils likely contain substantial amounts of microplastics, but a lack of systematic monitoring means the scale, location, and ecological impact remain largely unknown. Soil is a major but understudied reservoir for microplastic pollution globally.
Microplastics aren’t just a problem for the ocean – they’re in our soils too
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Microplastic contamination of agricultural soils is now widespread globally, with modeling approaches enabling researchers to estimate pollution levels across regions where direct sampling is limited. Soil microplastics threaten crop productivity and soil ecosystem health, and because they move into groundwater and food crops, they represent a direct human exposure pathway beyond what is found in oceans.
Microplastics are in our fertilisers and soils, yet we know next to nothing about their environmental and health impacts
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Researchers highlighted that microplastics are routinely present in both synthetic and organic fertilizers, meaning they are being directly applied to farmland worldwide, yet almost nothing is known about how this contaminates food crops or affects the health of people who eat them.
How microplastics are making their way into our farmland
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This commentary argues that wastewater treatment plants are a primary pathway for microplastics entering Canadian farmland through biosolid application, calling for closer monitoring and reduction of microplastics in the wastewater stream. Agricultural soil microplastic accumulation is a growing concern because it contaminates crops, disrupts soil ecosystems, and creates a diffuse pathway for plastic particles to enter the human food supply.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.