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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Generation Characteristics of Micro Plastics from Different Types of Coated Controlled-Release Fertilizer Films
ClearMechanisms of microplastic generation from polymer-coated controlled-release fertilizers (PC-CRFs)
This study investigated how the plastic coatings on slow-release fertilizers break down and release microplastics into soil. Significantly more microplastic particles were released in soil conditions than in water alone, and wet-dry cycles accelerated the breakdown, meaning agricultural soils receiving these fertilizers may be accumulating substantial amounts of microplastic pollution.
Biodegradation of microplastics derived from controlled release fertilizer coating: Selective microbial colonization and metabolism in plastisphere
Scientists studied how microplastics from fertilizer coatings break down in soil over more than two years, finding that polyethylene degraded the most (nearly 17% weight loss) while producing secondary microplastic fragments and chemical byproducts. Specific bacteria and fungi colonized the plastic surfaces, forming biofilms that helped break down the material. This research shows that coated fertilizers are a direct source of microplastic pollution in farmland, where the breakdown products could enter crops and groundwater.
Analysis of Slow-Released Fertilisers as a Source of Microplastics
Analysis of slow-release fertilisers coated with polymer shells found that these products can release microplastics into agricultural soils as the coatings degrade. Two major manufacturers' products showed varying polymer compositions and differing abilities to adsorb soil contaminants, raising concerns about MP accumulation from fertiliser use.
The long-term effects of microplastics on soil organomineral complexes and bacterial communities from controlled-release fertilizer residual coating
After a 10-year field experiment with controlled-release fertilizer application in China, residual plastic coating microplastics were found in soil at levels that altered soil organomineral complexes and bacterial community structure, raising sustainability concerns about this widely used agricultural technology.
Advancements and challenges in controlled-release fertilisers: An approach to integrate biopolymer-based strategies
This review examines controlled-release fertilizers, which are designed to deliver nutrients to plants gradually, and finds that many use synthetic polymer coatings that can leave microplastic residues in soil. The authors highlight biopolymers made from natural materials like chitosan, cellulose, and starch as promising alternatives that can biodegrade without contributing to plastic pollution. The shift toward biodegradable fertilizer coatings could help reduce a significant but often overlooked source of agricultural microplastic contamination.
Engineering biodegradable coatings for sustainable fertilisers
This review explored engineering biodegradable coatings for controlled-release fertilizers as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic-coated products, addressing concerns about microplastic contamination from agricultural plastic films while maintaining effective nutrient delivery to crops.
Advances in Controlled Release Fertilizers: Cost‐Effective Coating Techniques and Smart Stimuli‐Responsive Hydrogels
This review examines advances in controlled release fertilizer technology, focusing on cost-effective coating techniques and smart hydrogels that release nutrients in response to environmental conditions. Researchers found that while these technologies improve nutrient efficiency and reduce environmental pollution from fertilizer runoff, the coatings themselves can introduce microplastic contamination into soils. The study calls for development of fully biodegradable coating materials that deliver the benefits of controlled release without adding to plastic pollution in agricultural lands.
Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil
Researchers investigated the kinetics of microplastic generation from different mulch films in agricultural soil, finding that weathering rates and microplastic formation patterns varied significantly between oxodegradable, biodegradable, and conventional plastic films.
Fully bio-based polyurethane coating for environmentally friendly controlled release fertilizer: Construction, degradation mechanism and effect on plant growth
Researchers developed a fully bio-based polyurethane coating for controlled-release fertilizers using castor oil and a plant-derived chemical. Unlike conventional polyurethane coatings that persist in soil as microplastics, this coating showed strong biodegradability while still effectively controlling nutrient release. The study offers a practical solution to reduce microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils from fertilizer coatings.
Plant stimuli-responsive biodegradable polymers for the use in timed release fertilizer coatings
This study developed plant-stimulated biodegradable polymer coatings for controlled-release fertilizers that break down when triggered by root secretions, releasing nutrients when plants need them. The innovation addresses the problem of conventional fertilizer coatings made from non-degradable polymers that contribute to microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Degradation of microplastic seed film-coating fragments in soil
Researchers measured degradation rates of seed film-coating microplastic fragments in soil and found highly variable breakdown, ranging from over 48 days for commercial polymer coatings to under 24 days for bioplastic formulations containing Bacillus subtilis spores, with insecticide dissipation accelerating when entrapped in biodegradable coatings compared to direct soil application.
A risk assessment framework for fragmenting (micro-)plastics. A case study for polymer coated fertilizers in soil
Researchers developed a risk assessment framework specifically for fragmenting microplastics from polymer-coated fertilizers in agricultural soils, incorporating fragmentation dynamics and bioavailable particle fractions. The framework found that current environmental concentrations of PCF-derived microplastics approach hazardous levels for some soil organisms.
Long-term localization experiments reveal aging degradation mechanisms of biobased and petroleum-based polyurethanes in natural environments: degradation characteristics, product assessment and degradation cycle prediction
Researchers conducted a 807-day field localisation experiment to study the degradation mechanisms of biobased and petroleum-based polyurethanes used as polymer coatings on controlled-release fertilisers in natural soil environments. The study characterised the degradation products, assessed environmental risk, and developed a predictive model for the degradation cycle, finding that both polyurethane types fragment into microplastic residues at different rates.
Monitoring Microplastic Release from Simulated Paddy Fields in Controlled Planting Containers
Researchers used paddy field model containers equipped with soil, rice plants, and drainage systems to monitor the release and concentration patterns of microplastics from slow-release fertilizer (SRF) polymer coatings over 10 days under controlled conditions. The study found that SRF coatings shed measurable microplastic particles into drainage water, raising concern about agricultural microplastic pollution entering rivers and coastal waters.
Environmental sustainability of future fertilizers: tradeoffs between ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching for 11 enhanced efficiency fertilizers
Researchers evaluated 11 enhanced efficiency fertilizers under greenhouse conditions, finding that polymer-coated and inhibitor-based products showed significant performance tradeoffs between ammonia volatilization and nitrate leaching. Six fertilizers performed well overall, and the study found that even fertilizers within the same class performed differently depending on the substrate used. The research highlights that polymer coatings on fertilizers, including biodegradable plastics, are a potential environmental source of microplastics.
Runoff and accumulation of microplastics derived from polymer-coated fertilizer in Japanese paddy fields
Researchers investigated how polymer-coated fertilizers widely used in Japanese rice farming release microplastic shell fragments into paddy fields and surrounding waterways. The study found that between 61 and 100 percent of the fertilizer coating fragments run off from fields, and estimates suggest this is a meaningful source of agricultural microplastic pollution across Japan.
Accumulation of microcapsules derived from coated fertilizer in paddy fields
Plastic microcapsules from slow-release coated fertilizers, each 2-5 mm in diameter, were found to accumulate in Japanese paddy fields after the fertilizer contents diffused. Unlike some other agricultural plastics, these microcapsules are not collected after use and have been found in large quantities in farmland and waterways.
Organic fertilizer facilitates the soil microplastic surface degradation and enriches the diversity of bacterial biofilm
Researchers found that organic fertilizer application facilitates surface degradation of microplastics in soil and enriches the diversity of bacterial biofilms on plastic surfaces, suggesting fertilizer use influences microplastic behavior and fate in agricultural soils.
From intentionally used plastic films to soil microplastic contamination
Researchers examined how six different LDPE agricultural plastic films fragment into microplastics under UV radiation and mechanical stress, finding that film thickness and UV exposure time significantly influenced degradation rates, with thinner films fragmenting more rapidly into soil-contaminating microplastic particles.
Development of Fertilizer Coatings from Polyglyoxylate–Polyester Blends Responsive to Root-Driven pH Change
Researchers developed biodegradable fertilizer coatings made from a self-degrading polymer blended with polycaprolactone or polylactic acid, designed to release nutrients in the acidic zone around plant roots. Replacing conventional non-biodegradable polymer coatings on fertilizers could significantly reduce microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Thickness-dependent release of microplastics and phthalic acid esters from polythene and biodegradable residual films in agricultural soils and its related productivity effects
Researchers conducted a two-year study comparing the release of microplastics and phthalic acid esters from polyethylene and biodegradable mulch films of different thicknesses in agricultural soil. The study found that biodegradable films degraded significantly more than polyethylene films, with thinner films breaking down faster, and that microplastic release from residual films can affect soil properties and crop productivity.
Macro- and microplastic accumulation in soil after 32 years of plastic film mulching
Researchers quantified plastic accumulation in an agricultural field after 32 continuous years of plastic mulch film use. They found roughly 10 times more macroplastic fragments in fertilized plots than non-fertilized plots, likely because plant roots and stems became entangled with the film making removal difficult. The study found that plastic mulch contributed 33% to 56% of total microplastics detected down to one meter of soil depth, demonstrating substantial long-term accumulation from agricultural plastic use.
Decomposition Rate and Microplastic Residue Formation of Photodegradable Resin-Coated Controlled-Release Fertilizers (CRFs)
This study tested whether adding titanium dioxide (TiO₂) as a photocatalyst to the polymer coatings of controlled-release fertilizers could prevent those coatings from leaving microplastic residues when they degrade. The TiO₂-containing fertilizer coating fully decomposed under simulated sunlight within 60 days with no detectable plastic residues, while the standard fertilizer only degraded 14–31%. Polymer-coated fertilizers are a major and often overlooked source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, and this study suggests photocatalytic coatings could eliminate that residue entirely.
Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application
Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 23 commercial organic fertilizers, finding widespread presence at levels that could meaningfully contribute to agricultural soil pollution when fertilizers are applied. The results raise concerns about organic fertilizers as an underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering farm soils and the food system.