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Compost - a potential source of microplastics: amount, source and composition of plastic materials in feedstock organic wastes
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Microplastics in MSW-derived compost: release rate, characteristics, ecological risks, and mitigation strategies for sustainable agriculture
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Compost made from household trash often contains tiny plastic bits called microplastics, and surprisingly, the compost from industrial facilities had even more plastic contamination than the raw waste it started from. Since this compost gets spread on farm fields, these plastic fragments can build up in the soil where our food grows. The good news: simply sorting out plastic from food/organic waste before composting (rather than mixing everything together) dramatically cuts down on this contamination, suggesting better recycling habits at home and in waste facilities could help keep microplastics out of our agricultural system.
Microplastics in Composts, Digestates and Food Wastes: A Review
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Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in composts, digestates, and food wastes, finding that plastic packaging mixed into food waste streams may inadvertently introduce microplastics into agricultural soils during composting or anaerobic digestion. The authors highlight critical research gaps and call for harmonized methods to better assess this potential pathway of soil microplastic contamination.
Microplastic Pollution in Compost Derived from Mixed Municipal Waste in Kermanshah City: Abundance, Characteristics, and Ecological Risk Evaluation
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Researchers found that compost made from mixed municipal solid waste in Kermanshah, Iran, was universally contaminated with microplastics at an average of 2,160 particles per kilogram — translating to an estimated 118 million microplastics added to each hectare of farmland annually — posing medium to high ecological risk and highlighting compost as a significant pathway for microplastic entry into agricultural soils.
Integrated Impacts of Microplastics Contaminated Compost on Soil–Plant Systems and Bioaccumulation in Lettuce, Tomato, and Radish
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Researchers grew lettuce, tomatoes, and radish in soils amended with four composts of varying microplastic loads, finding that the most contaminated compost reduced early plant growth and resulted in bioaccumulation averaging 118, 81, and 140 microplastic particles per gram dry weight in the respective edible tissues. The study demonstrates that microplastics in compost-amended agricultural soil transfer directly into food crops, posing a direct pathway for human dietary exposure.
Urban dimension of microplastics in municipal solid waste compost within an emerging eastern Indian city
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Researchers mapped microplastic contamination across five socioeconomically distinct composting stations in an eastern Indian city, finding abundances from 1,111 to 2,111 items/kg with polyethylene dominant and Polymer Hazard Index scores indicating the highest risk category at most sites. The study reveals that urban composting—intended to recycle organic waste into soil amendment—is inadvertently distributing hazardous microplastics into agricultural and residential soils across different socioeconomic zones.
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