Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Occurrence status of microplastics in main agricultural areas of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, China

Agricultural soils in Xinjiang, China, were surveyed for microplastic contamination, revealing widespread presence in major farming regions where plastic mulch films and irrigation systems are heavily used. The study provides one of the first regional-scale assessments of microplastic pollution in this important agricultural area.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in mulched soil in Xinjiang, China

Researchers measured microplastic distribution in plastic-mulched farmland soils in Xinjiang, China, finding that plastic particles concentrate in the top soil layer where mulch films fragment. The dominant polymer found was polyethylene, consistent with the plastic mulch films widely used in agriculture across the region.

2021 International journal of agricultural and biological engineering 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in cotton soils following long-term mulching: A field study for the Xinjiang production and construction corps in China

Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation across agricultural soils in Xinjiang, China — a major mulch film use region — finding that microplastic abundance positively correlates with mulching duration and that geographical and social factors drive north-south differences in contamination levels.

2025 Results in Engineering
Article Tier 2

Occurrence characteristics, source analysis, and risk assessment of microplastics in agricultural soils: A case study on Shihezi Reclamation Area, Xinjiang, China

Microplastic occurrence was characterized in agricultural soils of the Shihezi Reclamation Area, Xinjiang — a region with decades of plastic film mulching — finding high-density PE and PP fragments as dominant types, with mulch film degradation as the primary source.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in arid soils: Impact of different cropping systems (Altay, Xinjiang)

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in farmland soils in an arid region of China, finding extremely high concentrations averaging over 52,000 particles per kilogram of soil. Polyethylene from plastic mulch film accounted for over 90% of the microplastics, with fields growing tall crops like sunflower and maize showing more contamination than potato fields. The study demonstrates that agricultural plastic mulch use is a major source of soil microplastic pollution, particularly in arid farming regions.

2022 Environmental Pollution 83 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and Risk Assessment of Microplastics in Farmland Soil in Kashgar, Xinjiang

Researchers sampled farmland soils in Kashgar, China, and found microplastics in all tested fields, with film-like and fibrous shapes dominating and polyethylene being the most common plastic type. Cotton fields and greenhouses showed moderate pollution levels, raising concerns about microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils and its potential effects on food production.

2025 Research Review
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Accumulation in Agricultural Soils with Different Mulching Histories in Xinjiang, China

Researchers found that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils of Xinjiang, China increases significantly with mulching history, with fields mulched for over 20 years containing substantially more microplastics across all soil layers.

2023 Sustainability 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural plastic mulching as a source of microplastics in the terrestrial environment

Researchers analyzed 384 soil samples from 19 Chinese provinces and found that macroplastic fragments were concentrated in agricultural fields with plastic mulch film use, providing large-scale field evidence linking agricultural mulching to terrestrial plastic contamination.

2020 Environmental Pollution 1205 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence and distribution characteristics of microplastics in the agricultural soils of Shaanxi Province, in north-western China

Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance and polymer types in agricultural soils across multiple counties in Shaanxi Province, northwestern China, finding widespread contamination correlated with agricultural activity intensity and plastic mulch film use.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 459 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct microplastic distributions in soils of different land-use types: A case study of Chinese farmlands

Microplastic distribution across six types of farmland land use was surveyed from soils in five Chinese provinces to determine how agricultural practices shape soil microplastic contamination. The study found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by land-use type, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation practices as key contributing factors.

2020 Environmental Pollution 278 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence of microplastics in farmland and grassland soils in the Qinghai-Tibet plateau: Different land use and mulching time in facility agriculture

Researchers investigated microplastic contamination in farmland and grassland soils on the remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau in China. The study found an average of about 50 microplastic particles per kilogram of soil, with plastic film and polyester being the most common types. Notably, longer use of plastic mulch in farming was linked to higher microplastic levels, suggesting that agricultural plastic use is a key source of soil contamination even in remote regions.

2021 Environmental Pollution 225 citations
Article Tier 2

The characteristics and influencing factors of farmland soil microplastic in Hetao Irrigation District, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in farmland soil across a major grain-producing region in China, finding concentrations ranging from about 1,800 to over 86,000 particles per kilogram. Polyethylene film fragments from agricultural plastic mulch were the dominant type, and 90% of the particles were smaller than 180 micrometers. The study shows that farming practices are introducing large amounts of microplastics into the soil where food crops are grown, raising questions about potential transfer into the food supply.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Occurrence Characteristics of Microplastics in Typical Maize Farmland Soils With Long-Term Plastic Film Mulching in Northern China

A survey of 225 soil samples from maize farmland with long-term plastic film mulching in northern China found widespread microplastic contamination, with abundance, distribution, and polymer composition reflecting the history of film use and agricultural management practices.

2021 Frontiers in Marine Science 76 citations
Article Tier 2

Contribution of mulch film to microplastics in agricultural soil and surface water in China

Researchers developed a framework to quantify how much agricultural mulch film contributes to microplastic contamination in farmland soil and surface water in China, measuring the ratio of mulch-derived particles to total microplastics from all sources.

2021 Environmental Pollution 119 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in soils with different agricultural practices: Importance of sources with internal origin and environmental fate

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were examined in soils representing four agricultural practice types in Chinese farmland to evaluate the influence of land use on plastic particle accumulation. Microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied by agricultural practice, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation water source as key drivers of farmland soil contamination.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 282 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of plastic film mulching on microplastic in farmland soils in Guangdong province, China

Researchers surveyed farmland in Guangdong, China's largest economic province, to determine how much plastic mulch film contributes to soil microplastic pollution. They found that fields using plastic mulch had significantly higher microplastic levels than those without, and the contamination correlated with years of mulch use. The study helps clarify the direct agricultural contribution to soil microplastic pollution in regions with many overlapping pollution sources.

2023 Heliyon 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct soil microplastic distributions under various farmland-use types around Urumqi, China

Microplastic distribution was characterized in soils from greenhouse, crop field, and vegetable field land-use types around Urumqi in arid northwestern China. Greenhouse soils had the highest microplastic abundance, film-shaped particles dominated at 85.93%, and polyethylene was the most common polymer type across all land-use categories.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Duration- and area-dependent influences of plastic film mulch on soil microplastics abundance

Researchers conducted a field campaign combined with remote sensing to investigate how the duration and coverage area of plastic film mulching affect microplastic abundance in agricultural soils in northern China's agro-pastoral ecotone, finding that microplastic concentrations ranged from 41.7 to 787.5 items per kilogram and positively correlated with mulching duration.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Large Scale Agricultural Plastic Mulch Detecting and Monitoring with Multi-Source Remote Sensing Data: A Case Study in Xinjiang, China

Satellite imagery was used to monitor plastic mulch film coverage across large agricultural areas in China, mapping both spatial extent and temporal changes. Accurately tracking plastic mulch use is important because agricultural film residues are a major source of microplastic contamination in farmland soils.

2019 Remote Sensing 57 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across three regions in China, comparing greenhouse and open-field cultivation that uses plastic mulch film. They found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by region and that the type of mulching practice accounted for over 34% of the variation in microplastic composition. The study provides important baseline data on how plastic film use in farming contributes to soil microplastic pollution.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 51 citations
Article Tier 2

Status, characteristics, and ecological risks of microplastics in farmland surface soils cultivated with different crops across mainland China

Researchers conducted a nationwide survey of microplastics in farmland soils across mainland China, covering over 30 crop types in 109 cities. They found microplastics in all sampled soils, with concentrations varying by crop type, region, and farming practices such as plastic film mulching and irrigation methods. The study provides the most comprehensive picture to date of agricultural microplastic contamination in China and identifies the key farming practices that contribute most to soil pollution.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

The occurrence and effect of altitude on microplastics distribution in agricultural soils of Qinghai Province, northwest China

Microplastic distribution was investigated in agricultural soils of Qinghai Province at different altitudes, finding that altitude influenced microplastic characteristics and abundance, with lower-altitude agricultural areas showing higher contamination from plastic film use.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 97 citations
Article Tier 2

The abundance, characteristics and distribution of microplastics (MPs) in farmland soil—Based on research in China

This review analyzed microplastic contamination in farmland soil across China and found that fertilizer use and plastic mulch film are the biggest contributors, increasing soil microplastic levels by 170% and 232% respectively. The most common types found were polyethylene and polypropylene fragments and fibers. These findings are concerning because microplastics in farm soil can be taken up by crops and enter the human food supply.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 92 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution of microplastics in mulched soil in Xinjiang, China

Researchers studied microplastic distribution in plastic film mulched farmland soils in Xinjiang, China, using an optimised fluidization-centrifugation density flotation method, finding that plastic mulch was the dominant source of soil microplastics and characterising their morphology, size distribution, and polymer composition by Fourier spectroscopy and electron microscopy.

2021 International journal of agricultural and biological engineering 46 citations