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Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Employing a systems approach to unravelling the complexities of the agricultural plastics value chain
ClearPlastics can be used more sustainably in agriculture
Researchers reviewed how plastics used in farming — from mulch films to storage bins — are building up in soils worldwide, and mapped out practical strategies to curb the problem. They conclude that while plastics can't be fully replaced yet without harming food security, smarter use, better recycling, and biodegradable alternatives are essential steps forward.
Prospective Scenarios for Addressing the Agricultural Plastic Waste Issue: Results of a Territorial Analysis
A study on agricultural plastic waste assessed prospective management scenarios combining stakeholder input with life cycle analysis to identify sustainable pathways for reducing farm plastic pollution. Results highlighted the need for integrated approaches spanning plastic reduction, reuse, and improved collection systems.
Plastic Use in Agriculture: Balancing Benefits, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Solutions
This review examines the benefits and environmental risks of plasticulture, covering how plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems boost yields while generating microplastic soil contamination, and proposing sustainable alternatives and policy frameworks.
Far‐Reaching Impact of Microplastics on Agricultural Systems: Options for Mitigation and Adaptation
This systematic review examines how microplastics affect agricultural systems, from soil health and crop growth to farm animals and the food consumers eat. The research highlights that microplastic contamination in farming is widespread and may pose risks throughout the food supply chain, making it a concern for anyone who eats conventionally grown food.
Characterisation and causal model of the holistic dynamics of the integral sustainability of the agri-food system
Not relevant to microplastics — this is an agricultural systems study developing a structural model to characterize the dynamics of sustainability in agri-food production systems.
Mechanisms of microplastic accumulation in the root zones of agricultural soils
Scientists found that tiny plastic pieces from farm materials like mulch films get stuck in soil and don't wash away easily, causing them to build up over time in areas where food is grown. This matters because these microplastics can potentially enter our food supply through crops that absorb them from contaminated soil. The research shows it's very difficult to remove these plastic particles once they're in farmland, suggesting we need better prevention methods to protect our food system.
Microplastics in Agriculture- a Review
This review examines the growing presence of microplastics in agricultural environments, covering their sources from plastic mulch films and irrigation water, their effects on soil health and crop quality, and the implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture.
Agricultural Microplastics Pollution: From Hidden Threats to Global Food Security Towards Sustainable Strategies
This comprehensive review examines agricultural microplastic pollution across the atmosphere, soil, water, and biological systems, proposing a framework linking farming-derived MP contamination to food security risks and calling for integrated approaches to manage MNPs in agricultural systems.
Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation?
This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.
The measurement of food safety and security risks associated with micro- and nanoplastic pollution
Researchers reviewed how micro- and nanoplastic pollution enters the human food chain through agricultural systems, raising concerns for food safety and security. They identified major gaps in our ability to assess the risks of plastic contamination in food and feed sources. The study calls for interdisciplinary approaches and better analytical methods to understand and address this growing challenge.
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.
Agricultural plastics and environmental sustainability: Assessment and remediation strategies
This review examines the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of agricultural plastics including mulch films, irrigation pipes, and greenhouse covers, and evaluates management strategies such as recycling, composting, biodegradable alternatives, and circular economy models for reducing microplastic accumulation.
Plasticultura en México: Impactos Ambientales y Desafíos para la Sostenibilidad
This systematic review analyzes the environmental impact of agricultural plastic use in Mexico, where over 45,000 hectares use plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems. Poor management of this agricultural plastic waste contributes to microplastic pollution in soils, which can affect crop quality and potentially enter the food chain.
Investigating the Agricultural Use and Disposal of Plastics in Malta
Researchers surveyed the use and disposal of agricultural plastics in Malta and found that the sector generates significant plastic waste with limited recycling infrastructure. Mulch films, greenhouse covers, and irrigation tubing were among the most common plastic products used, but many farmers lacked access to proper disposal channels. The study calls for better policies and waste collection systems to prevent agricultural plastics from contaminating farmland soils.
Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact
This systematic review traces the full lifecycle of plastic mulch films used in farming, from application to breakdown in soil. While these films boost crop yields, they leave behind persistent residues that fragment into microplastics, potentially contaminating soil and groundwater. The review highlights the need for biodegradable alternatives to reduce long-term microplastic accumulation in agricultural land.
Software for evaluating the threat of plastic pollution to global agriculture
Researchers synthesized data on long-term plasticulture use to assess its impacts on crop productivity and greenhouse gas emissions, developing software tools to evaluate the compounding threat of macro- and microplastic accumulation in global agricultural soils on food and climate security.
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.
Plastic Pollution in Agriculture as a Threat to Food Security, the Ecosystem, and the Environment: An Overview
This review examines how plastic products used in agriculture -- from mulch films to greenhouse covers -- contribute to microplastic pollution in soil, water, and crops. While plastics help boost crop production and food quality, their breakdown releases microplastics that can be taken up by plants and enter the food chain. The paper discusses strategies to reduce plastic pollution in farming, which is important because agricultural microplastics represent a direct pathway to human dietary exposure.
An overview of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in agroecosystems
This overview reviewed the current understanding of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in agroecosystems, examining how agricultural practices like mulching, irrigation, and sludge application introduce plastics into soils and food crops.
Towards a Sustainable Future: Advancing an Integrated Approach for the Recycling and Valorization of Agricultural Plastics
This review surveys current methods for recycling and valorizing agricultural plastics—films, mulches, and greenhouse covers—highlighting that inadequate end-of-life management leads to soil and water contamination and eventual microplastic formation. A more integrated, circular approach to agricultural plastic design and disposal is needed to prevent these materials from fragmenting into persistent environmental pollutants.
The Plastic Paradox: A Systematic Review of Mulch-Derived Microplastic Pollution and the Sustainability of Arid Zone Agriculture
This systematic review examines the 'plastic paradox' in farming — plastic mulch boosts crop yields in dry climates but leaves behind microplastics that accumulate in soil over time. These soil microplastics can alter water flow, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter the food chain through crops.
Fate and Transport Pathways of Microplastics in Agricultural Soil and their Interaction with Agrochemicals
Researchers reviewed how microplastics and nanoplastics move through agricultural soil and interact with agrochemicals like pesticides and fertilizers. The study highlights that industrialization-driven plastic accumulation fragments into microplastics in farming environments, where their interactions with agricultural chemicals may amplify environmental and food safety risks.
Software for evaluating the threat of plastic pollution to global agriculture
Researchers developed software to assess the long-term impacts of plasticulture — plastic film use in agriculture — on crop productivity and greenhouse gas emissions, synthesizing evidence on how accumulated macro- and microplastics in farmland soils threaten food and climate security.
Microplastic contamination in farmyard manures: implications for sustainable agriculture
Researchers investigated microplastic abundance and characteristics in non-commercial farmyard manures - a largely understudied pathway for microplastic entry into agricultural soils. The study assessed how manure application may serve as a source of microplastic contamination in farmland, contributing to understanding of plastic pollution cycles in terrestrial agricultural ecosystems.