We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to Sustainable Plasticulture in Chinese Agriculture: a Review of Challenges and Routes to Achieving Long-term Food and Ecosecurity
ClearPotential sources and occurrence of macro-plastics and microplastics pollution in farmland soils: A typical case of China
This review examines plastic pollution in Chinese farmland soils, finding that agricultural practices like mulch film use and sewage sludge application are major sources of both macro- and microplastics that accumulate over time.
Microplastics in agricultural soils in China: Sources, impacts and solutions
This review examines microplastic contamination in Chinese agricultural soils, finding abundances ranging from about 5 to over 40,000 items per kilogram depending on location. The study identifies plastic mulching films as the most significant source, followed by abandoned greenhouses and organic fertilizers, and recommends sustainable agronomic practices to reduce soil microplastic pollution.
The Use and Recycling of Agricultural Plastic Mulch in China: A Review
This review examines the widespread use of plastic mulch in Chinese agriculture, where adoption ranks first globally, along with the severe farmland pollution caused by residual plastic film. Researchers summarize the types of mulch used, the environmental damage from accumulation in soil, and current recycling practices. The study discusses government policies and farmer practices aimed at addressing plastic mulch pollution and offers reference points for other countries facing similar challenges.
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.
Rice Cultivation under Film Mulching Can Improve Soil Environment and Be Beneficial for Rice Production in China
This review examines the benefits and drawbacks of growing rice under plastic film mulch in China, which improves water efficiency and yield but contributes to microplastic contamination of agricultural soil. While degradable films and organic fertilizers offer partial solutions, long-term plastic residue in farmland remains a concern. The study highlights the tension between agricultural productivity and the risk of microplastic pollution entering the food supply through soil.
Revealing the Full Picture of Agricultural Plastic Legacy Pollution: Toward “Zero‐Leakage” Management in Chinese Farmlands
This review examines the legacy of agricultural plastic mulch film pollution in Chinese farmlands, where China consumes approximately 68% of global mulch film production, leading to persistent residue accumulation and microplastic contamination. The authors propose a 'zero-leakage' management framework to address the full spectrum of plastic pollution across different environmental compartments in agricultural settings.
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.
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.
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.
The Source, Distribution Characteristics,and Migration Behavior of Microplastic Pollutionin Soil Environment in China: A Review
Researchers reviewed how microplastics enter Chinese soils — mainly through plastic mulch films, sewage irrigation, and fertilizer application — and how they migrate through soil layers while carrying other pollutants with them. The review highlights that China's intensive agricultural practices make its soils among the most microplastic-contaminated on Earth, with implications for food safety and groundwater quality.
The agricultural plastic paradox: Feeding more, harming more?
This review examines the trade-off between the agricultural benefits of plastic film mulch, which helps feed an estimated 85 million additional people in China alone, and the growing microplastic contamination it causes in farmland soils. Researchers found that current studies on the effects of mulch-derived microplastics use inconsistent methods and often unrealistically high concentrations, making it difficult to assess the true risks. The study calls for standardized research approaches to better understand whether the agricultural benefits of plastic mulch outweigh its environmental costs.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Progress of Microplastic Pollution in Vegetable Land in Guanzhong Plain Area
This study reviews the current state of microplastic pollution in vegetable fields across the Guanzhong Plain in China, where widespread use of agricultural mulch film has contributed to soil contamination. Researchers analyzed the key factors affecting microplastic accumulation and migration in agricultural soils. The study proposes targeted prevention measures to protect the ecological environment and ensure safe vegetable production in the region.
Agricultural plastic films reshape soil microplastic distribution, nitrogen cycle and ecological risks in facility agriculture
Researchers compared microplastic characteristics in protected agriculture systems and traditional farmland soils in China, finding significantly higher microplastic abundance in mulched farmland and documenting correlations between microplastic presence and altered soil nitrogen cycling and heavy metal distribution.
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.
Temporal and Spatial Distribution of Residual Film in Soil Profile under Continuous Film Mulching
Eight years of continuous plastic mulch film use on Chinese farmland steadily increased the number of plastic fragments in soil, with smaller pieces migrating progressively deeper over time even as total plastic mass slowly declined. The finding that fragments accumulate below 10 cm — beyond the reach of most tillage — highlights how agricultural microplastic pollution can become entrenched and difficult to remediate.
Plastic Mulch Films in Agriculture: Their Use, Environmental Problems, Recycling and Alternatives
This review examines how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics and nanoplastics that contaminate soil, harm soil organisms, and can enter the human body through the food chain. While developed countries are making progress with recycling and biodegradable alternatives, the health effects of nanoplastics from agricultural plastic remain largely unknown. Better collection, recycling, and alternative materials are needed to reduce this growing source of plastic pollution.