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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to From waste to resource: unveiling the nexus between compost, microplastics, and agroecosystem
ClearComprehensive understanding of microplastics in compost: Ecological risks and degradation mechanisms
This review examines how microplastics enter soil through compost made from household waste, sewage sludge, and agricultural waste. Microplastics in compost can disrupt soil structure, reduce fertility, and persist in the environment long after application. Since compost is widely used in farming, this represents a significant pathway for microplastics to contaminate agricultural soil and potentially enter the food chain.
Microplastics in composts, digestates, and food wastes: A review
This review examines how food waste composting and recycling processes can introduce microplastics into agricultural soil. When food waste mixed with plastic packaging is composted or processed through anaerobic digestion, microplastic fragments can end up in the soil amendments spread on farmland. The findings highlight an overlooked pathway by which microplastics enter the food chain, as crops grown in contaminated compost may absorb or accumulate plastic particles.
A systematic review of the occurrence of microplastics in compost: Understanding the abundance, sources, characteristics and ecological risk
Researchers reviewed 19 global studies and found microplastics in virtually all types of compost — including those made from animal manure, sewage sludge, and municipal waste — with concentrations reaching up to 288,000 particles per kilogram in some samples. Since compost is widely applied to farmland, these findings highlight a significant but overlooked pathway for microplastics to enter soils and the food chain.
Microplastics identification and quantification in the composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
Researchers quantified microplastics in composted organic municipal solid waste from five facilities, finding contamination levels that raise concerns about compost quality and the potential transfer of microplastics to agricultural soils through organic waste recycling.
Determination and quantification of microplastics in compost
Researchers analyzed commercially available compost products to determine how much microplastic contamination they contain. They found microplastics in all tested composts, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms, primarily made of polyethylene and polypropylene. The findings raise concerns that applying commercial compost to agricultural land may be an overlooked pathway for introducing microplastics into soil.
The treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as a possible source of micro- and nano-plastics and bioplastics in agroecosystems: a review
Researchers reviewed how treating municipal organic waste — like food scraps — for compost and fertilizer introduces micro- and nanoplastics, including fragments of biodegradable plastics, into farmland soils, with current data too limited to fully assess the contamination risk of applying this waste to agricultural fields.
Plastics and other extraneous matter in municipal solid waste compost: A systematic review of sources, occurrence, implications, and fate in amended soils
Researchers reviewed contamination in municipal compost made from household organic waste, finding plastics are the most prevalent pollutant — with some batches containing enough plastic to deposit over 500 kg per hectare of farmland each year. Repeated use of contaminated compost builds up microplastics in soil, threatening soil health and potentially moving plastic particles into crops and food.
From organic fertilizer to the soils: What happens to the microplastics? A critical review
This review traces how microplastics enter agricultural soil through organic fertilizers made from municipal waste, sewage sludge, and animal manure. During the composting process, the microplastics undergo physical and chemical changes that can make them better at absorbing other pollutants from the soil. The review highlights that applying organic fertilizer to farmland is a major but often overlooked pathway for microplastics to contaminate the food supply.
Microplastics as an underestimated emerging contaminant in solid organic waste and their biological products: Occurrence, fate and ecological risks
This review identified solid organic waste streams including compost, sewage sludge, and food waste as important but underappreciated repositories of microplastics that can reintroduce particles into agricultural soils and water systems. The authors call for standardized monitoring of microplastics in organic waste before environmental application.
Microplastic pollution and the related ecological risks of organic composts from different raw materials
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in 124 organic compost samples made from livestock manure, poultry waste, crop straw, and solid waste, finding that all types contained significant microplastic loads. Solid waste compost had the highest levels while crop straw compost had the lowest, and the particles showed signs of weathering and mineral attachment. The findings suggest that applying organic compost to farmland may be an underappreciated source of microplastic pollution entering agricultural soils.
Microplastic Abundance in the Locally Produced Commercial Compost and the Characteristics
Researchers measured microplastic abundance in locally produced commercial compost, characterizing particle morphology, size, and polymer type. The compost contained measurable microplastic concentrations dominated by polyester fibres and polyethylene fragments, confirming that commercial composting does not eliminate microplastic contamination and may serve as a route for soil plastic input.
Biowaste Compost Amendment is a Source of Microplastic Pollution in Agricultural Soils
Researchers found microplastics in Indian agricultural soils amended with biowaste compost, with concentrations increasing in proportion to years of compost application. Polypropylene was the dominant polymer type, showing that compost amendments can introduce microplastics into farmland soils.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soil and Their Impact: A Review
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils through sources like plastic mulch films, sewage sludge, and fertilizers. The particles can affect soil structure, microbial activity, and plant health, with common polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene found across farmland. The study emphasizes the need for better plastic waste management to protect agricultural ecosystems from growing microplastic contamination.
Microplastic Analysis on Microbial Compost, Vermicompost, and Superworm Compost and Their Ecological Risk Assessment
Researchers found microplastic contamination in all three types of commercial organic compost (microbial, vermicompost, and superworm compost), raising concerns about introducing plastic pollution into agricultural soils through products marketed as environmentally friendly. The ecological risk assessment highlights that even compost used to improve soil health may be a vector for spreading microplastics in food-growing environments.
Origin, Occurrence and Threats of Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: A Comprehensive Review
This comprehensive review examines how microplastics enter and accumulate in agricultural soils through plastic mulch films, sewage sludge, and fertilizers. Researchers found that polypropylene and polyethylene are the dominant polymers in farmland soils, and that microplastics negatively affect soil microbial communities, harm soil invertebrates, and can induce oxidative stress and cell damage in plants.
Breakdown of plastic waste into microplastics during an industrial Composting: A case study from a biowaste facility
A study of industrial composting facilities found that plastic waste items introduced into the compost feedstock broke down into microplastics during the composting process, with finished compost containing significant MP concentrations that could contaminate agricultural soils where the compost is applied.
Traversing the prevalence of microplastics in soil-agro ecosystems: Origin, occurrence, and pollutants synergies
This review comprehensively examines microplastic contamination in soil and agricultural ecosystems, covering their origins from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and irrigation water. Researchers analyzed how microplastics interact synergistically with other pollutants including heavy metals and pesticides in soil environments. The study highlights that the long-term implications of microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils remain uncertain and warrant further investigation to protect food safety.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: An Emerging Threat to Soil Health, Microbial Ecology, Crop Productivity, and Food Safety
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt soil microbial communities, harm plant health, and potentially enter the human food chain. The study highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address this growing but often overlooked form of pollution in farmland.
Microplastic contamination in agricultural soils from mulch films and organic amendments: Transformation mechanism, soil-Biota toxicity, and future perspectives
This review examines how agricultural soils are becoming increasingly contaminated with microplastics from plastic mulch films and organic amendments like compost, with land-based contamination being 4 to 23 times higher than in water. Microplastics in farmland can harm soil organisms, disrupt soil structure, and enter the food chain through crops, posing potential risks to human health.
Tiny toxins, big problems: the hidden threat of microplastic in agroecosystems
This review examines the impacts of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, covering sources from plastic mulch and irrigation, effects on soil structure, water retention, microbial diversity, and nutrient cycling, and consequences for crop health and food safety.
Compost‐Hosted Microplastics – Municipal Solid Waste Compost
This review examines microplastics hosted in municipal solid waste compost, addressing a gap in research that has largely focused on marine ecosystems, and discussing the sources, prevalence, and potential impacts of microplastics in compost on terrestrial ecosystems, agriculture, and soil health.
The Extraction and Characterization of Microplastics of Biocompost and Water Samples Collected from the Different Semi-Urban Agronurseries
Researchers analyzed biocompost and water samples from semi-urban plant nurseries and found microplastic contamination in all samples, with fibers and fragments being the most common types. The microplastics came primarily from plastic packaging and materials used in the composting process. The findings suggest that compost intended for agricultural use may be an unintended source of microplastic pollution in soils.
Organic fertilizers as a vector of microplastics: A comprehensive review of sources, dispersion, and environmental consequences
This review synthesized evidence on how organic fertilizers — including sewage sludge and composts — act as vectors for microplastic transport into agricultural soils. The authors document how MPs from degraded plastics, textiles, and personal care products enter farming systems and affect soil health, plant growth, and the broader food chain.
Origin, Distribution, Fate, and Remediation of Microplastics in Biowastes and Biowaste-Amended Soil
This review chapter tracks how microplastics enter agricultural soil through land-applied biowastes — manure, compost, crop residues, and biosolids — and how they then become available for uptake by soil organisms and entry into the food chain. Because microplastics adsorb other contaminants and act as vectors for co-pollutants, the authors argue that biowaste land application is a significant but underappreciated pathway for microplastic accumulation in the human food supply.