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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Soil susceptibility to wind erosion drives the abundance of microplastics in remote Scottish soils
ClearWind erosion as a driver for transport of light density microplastics
Researchers investigated wind erosion as a transport mechanism for microplastics across different land uses in Iran and found that wind-eroded sediments contained significant quantities of light-density microplastic particles. Agricultural and barren lands showed higher microplastic concentrations in wind-eroded material. The study identifies wind as an important but overlooked pathway for spreading microplastic contamination across landscapes.
Microplastics in agricultural soils from a semi-arid region and their transport by wind erosion
Researchers found microplastics heterogeneously distributed in agricultural soils from semi-arid Iran, with plastic-mulched and wastewater-irrigated fields both contaminated, and demonstrated that wind erosion can transport microplastics from soil surfaces to new locations.
Influence of microplastics on small-scale soil surface roughness and implications for wind transport of microplastic particles
Researchers investigated how microplastics mixed into soil affect surface roughness at small scales, finding that microplastics altered surface texture in ways that could increase soil susceptibility to wind erosion and promote atmospheric transport of microplastic particles.
A neglected transport of plastic debris to cities from farmland in remote arid regions
Researchers found that wind erosion in semiarid farmland regions transports significant quantities of plastic debris, including microplastics, to distant urban areas, identifying a previously neglected long-range transport pathway in arid environments.
Wind erosion induced low-density microplastics migration at landscape scale in a semi-arid region of northern China
Researchers sampled agricultural fields with plastic film mulching and adjacent downwind grasslands in a semi-arid region of northern China, finding that wind erosion transported low-density microplastic fragments at landscape scale from agricultural sources into natural grassland ecosystems.
Assessing microplastic contamination in Icelandic soils: Insights from pristine, agricultural, and urban environments
Researchers analyzed microplastic accumulation in pristine and remote soils in Iceland to test whether long-range atmospheric transport deposits microplastics in undisturbed environments. Microplastics were detected in Icelandic soils, confirming that atmospheric deposition reaches isolated environments far from plastic sources.
Atmospheric Resuspension of Microplastics from Bare Soil Regions
Researchers developed a method to estimate how microplastics get lifted from bare soil into the atmosphere along with mineral dust, then modeled their global transport and deposition. They found that this soil-based resuspension is a meaningful source of atmospheric microplastics, with fiber-shaped particles traveling significantly farther than spherical ones. The study suggests that dust storms and wind erosion from agricultural and arid lands may be an underappreciated pathway for spreading microplastic contamination worldwide.
Entrainment and horizontal atmospheric transport of microplastics from soil
Researchers investigated the mechanisms by which microplastics become entrained from soil into the atmosphere, finding that wind-driven processes can transport plastic particles horizontally near the ground surface, establishing agricultural soils as a significant source of airborne microplastics.
Investigating the amount of macro, meso, and microplastics in the surface soil around the landfill of Tabriz and the effect of the prevailing wind on their distribution
Researchers sampled soil around an improperly managed landfill in Tabriz, Iran, finding it heavily contaminated with microplastics — averaging 470 particles per kilogram of dry soil — along with larger meso- and macroplastic debris. Surprisingly, the prevailing wind had little influence on how the microplastics spread around the site; the pollution was widespread in all directions. Open and poorly managed landfills are a significant and underappreciated source of microplastic contamination in surrounding soils and communities.
Microplastic contamination of intertidal sediments of Scapa Flow, Orkney: A first assessment
Researchers measured microplastic concentrations in intertidal sediments of Scapa Flow, Orkney — a relatively remote Scottish island — finding contamination levels comparable to heavily industrialized mainland UK sites, demonstrating that geographic remoteness and small local populations do not reliably predict lower microplastic pollution.
The Road Map to Classify the Potential Risk of Wind Erosion
This study developed a methodological framework for classifying the risk of wind erosion across different soil and climate conditions. Wind erosion can transport soil particles as well as light microplastic particles across large distances, making erosion risk assessment relevant to understanding microplastic dispersal.
Assessing microplastic contamination in Icelandic soils: Insights from pristine, agricultural, and urban environments
Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in Icelandic soils including pristine, agricultural, and urban sites to determine whether long-range atmospheric deposition reaches this sparsely populated island. Microplastics were detected across all site types, confirming atmospheric transport as a pathway to remote northern ecosystems.
Microplastics are released from agricultural soils to the atmosphere by wind erosion
Researchers measured microplastics released from agricultural soils into the air by wind erosion in vegetable-growing fields in Iran. Using a portable wind tunnel, they quantified plastic particles in both soil and wind-eroded sediment. The findings confirm that agricultural soils are a source of airborne microplastics, adding to the pathways by which plastic particles from farmlands reach remote environments.
Amount and characteristics of microplastic and organic matter in wind-blown sediment at different heights within the aeolian sand saltation layer
Researchers investigated microplastics in wind-blown sediment at different heights within the aeolian saltation layer over farmlands using plastic mulch, finding that wind erosion redistributes microplastics and enriches them at specific heights above the soil surface.
Quantification of wind-driven MP mobilisation potential in semi-arid regions in Kazakhstan using wind tunnel experiments
Researchers used wind tunnel experiments to quantify wind-driven microplastic mobilisation potential in the semi-arid steppe landscape of northeastern Kazakhstan, finding that the loess soils, flat terrain, and erosive climate create conditions for significant aeolian MP emission particularly as modern agricultural intensification increases plastic inputs.
Are we underestimating microplastic emissions from agricultural soils?
This review examines evidence that wind erosion from agricultural soils in drylands is a significant and underestimated source of atmospheric microplastic emissions. The authors argue that existing emission inventories focus too heavily on urban and aquatic sources, and that dryland agricultural soils—covering 40% of Earth's land surface—likely emit substantial quantities of plastic particles through wind erosion.
Importance of atmospheric transport for microplastics deposited in remote areas
This study highlights atmospheric transport as a significant and underappreciated pathway for depositing micro- and nanoplastics in remote areas including mountain regions and polar zones far from plastic sources. Airborne plastic particles can travel thousands of kilometers before being deposited, explaining the presence of microplastics in seemingly pristine remote environments.
The influence of depositional environment on the abundance of microplastic pollution on beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK
Researchers assessed the extent and variability of microplastic pollution across multiple beaches in the Bristol Channel, UK, finding that depositional environment characteristics significantly influenced the abundance and distribution of microplastic contamination in beach sand.
Is plastic dust different from mineral dust? Results from idealized wind tunnel experiments.
Researchers conducted wind tunnel experiments to compare how plastic particles of different sizes detach from flat surfaces in wind compared to mineral dust particles. Plastic particles required higher wind speeds to become airborne than mineral dust of similar size, likely due to shape differences. These findings inform atmospheric transport models for predicting how far and how much microplastic can be carried by wind across the landscape.
Occurrence of anthropogenic microparticles in soils of teide national park
Researchers found anthropogenic microparticles including microplastics in soils of Teide National Park in Tenerife, a protected UNESCO World Heritage Site far from industrial activity. The contamination indicates long-range atmospheric transport as the likely delivery mechanism to this remote high-altitude location.