Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Comparison of Methodologies for Microplastic Isolation through Multicriteria Analysis (AHP)

Researchers used multicriteria analysis (AHP) to compare different microplastic isolation methodologies for soil samples, identifying the most effective protocols and highlighting the need for standardized extraction methods to enable comparable results across studies.

2024 Microplastics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and decontamination of microplastics from high organic matter soils: A simple, cost-saving and high efficient method

Researchers developed and validated an optimized method to extract microplastics from organic-rich soils, finding that zinc chloride flotation combined with a dilute sulfuric acid-hydrogen peroxide digestion achieves 96-102% microplastic recovery while preserving the plastic particles intact. This practical, low-cost protocol fills an important methodological gap for studying microplastic contamination in agricultural soils where high organic matter typically interferes with detection.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Identifying an accurate and efficient approach to soil organic matter removal for quantifying microplastics in agricultural soils

Researchers evaluated multiple soil organic matter removal strategies for microplastic extraction from agricultural soils, comparing their efficiency in decomposing organic interference while preserving microplastic integrity. The study identifies an optimal approach that balances thorough SOM removal with minimal microplastic degradation, supporting more accurate quantification in contaminated agricultural samples.

2025 Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
Article Tier 2

An efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly protocol for extracting microplastics from soil samples

Researchers developed an efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly protocol for extracting microplastics from soil samples, addressing the lack of standardized methods and evaluating extraction performance across different soil matrices.

2025 Omorika - Repository of the Faculty of Forestry, Belgrade
Article Tier 2

Advances in the analysis of relevant microplastic types in agricultural soils

Researchers developed an optimized soil purification protocol for extracting and identifying microplastic particles from agricultural soils, systematically testing and combining multiple extraction and purification steps to improve the accuracy of polymer identification across different soil types.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Advances in the analysis of relevant microplastic types in agricultural soils

Researchers developed and validated an improved soil purification protocol for extracting microplastics from agricultural soils, based on systematic testing across different soil types to efficiently isolate plastic particles for polymer identification. The method built on prior work by Moller et al. (2022) and addressed the challenge that soil remains one of the most difficult matrices for microplastic analysis.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Researchers developed a low-cost, accessible method for extracting and identifying microplastics from farmland soils using density separation, fluorescent staining, and infrared spectroscopy. The protocol achieved recovery rates between 82% and 101% across different soil types and particle sizes. This standardized approach could help scientists worldwide compare results more reliably and give policymakers better data on agricultural microplastic contamination.

2025 Journal of Visualized Experiments 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction of Polyethylene and Polypropylene Microplastic from Agriculture Soil

Researchers examined methods for extracting polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics from agricultural soil, investigating how microplastic concentrations affect soil properties and crop productivity while evaluating density separation and other extraction protocols to improve detection and quantification of plastic pollution in agroecosystems.

2024 International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

A Cost-Effective Standardized Quantitative Detection Method for Soil Microplastics in Different Substrates

Scientists developed and validated a low-cost, standardized method for extracting and counting microplastics from different soil types—sandy, loam, and clay—achieving a 96.4% recovery rate at roughly $10 per sample in about 68 hours. The lack of consistent protocols has made it hard to compare microplastic data across studies globally, and this streamlined workflow directly addresses that problem. Better standardization will help researchers build a reliable picture of how contaminated agricultural soils really are worldwide.

2026 Toxics
Article Tier 2

A modified methodology for extraction and quantification of microplastics in soil

Researchers developed and validated an improved methodology for extracting and quantifying microplastics from soil samples using optimized density separation with different salt solutions. The method achieved high recovery rates for various polymer types and particle sizes while minimizing organic matter interference. The study provides a standardized and reproducible analytical approach that could help address inconsistencies in how microplastics are measured across different soil studies.

2024 NanoImpact 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and Characterization of Microplastics in Soil: A Case Study from the Hetao Irrigation District

Researchers developed a refined extraction method combining two-step density separation with NaCl solution, hydrogen peroxide digestion, and a fractionated filtration method to accurately isolate and characterize microplastics across multiple size ranges from agricultural soils in the Hetao Irrigation District, China.

2025 Water
Article Tier 2

Comprehensive assessment of various digestion protocols for extraction microplastics from organic-rich environmental matrices

Researchers tested 27 different chemical protocols for extracting microplastics from organic-rich samples like animal tissue, plants, soil, and sewage sludge. They identified the best digestion method for each sample type that removes organic matter while preserving the integrity of 26 different plastic types. The optimized protocols achieved recovery rates above 98%, offering a standardized approach for more accurate microplastic analysis across different environmental samples.

2025 Water Research 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Systematic development of extraction methods for quantitative microplastics analysis in soils using metal-doped plastics

Researchers developed and optimized systematic extraction methods for quantitative microplastic analysis in diverse soil types, using metal-doped PET microplastics as reference materials to validate extraction workflows and improve consistency across different soil matrices.

2022 Environmental Pollution 35 citations
Article Tier 2

An optimized density-based approach for extracting microplastics from soil and sediment samples

Researchers optimized a density-based extraction method for isolating microplastics from soil and sediment samples, testing different density solutions and separation steps to maximize recovery efficiency. The improved protocol reduces contamination risks and particle loss, enabling more accurate quantification of microplastics in terrestrial and freshwater sediment matrices.

2019 Environmental Pollution 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soils: A comparative review on extraction, identification and quantification methods

This review compares the various methods scientists use to extract, identify, and measure microplastics in soil, highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of each approach. Soil is a particularly challenging material to work with because its organic matter and complex structure can interfere with accurate microplastic detection. The authors recommend combining multiple techniques and minimizing harsh chemical steps that could accidentally destroy the very plastic particles being measured.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 22 citations
Article Tier 2

The power of centrifugation: How to extract microplastics from soil with high recovery and matrix removal efficiency

This study developed and validated a centrifugation-based method for extracting microplastics from soil samples with high recovery and efficient removal of organic matter. The approach is particularly useful for monitoring the fragmentation and biodegradation of both conventional and biodegradable polymers released into agricultural soils.

2024 MethodsX 13 citations
Article Tier 2

A Simplified and Optimised Protocol for Microplastics Determination in Soil and Sludge Applied Soils

Researchers developed and validated a simplified, optimized protocol for determining microplastic concentrations in soil and sewage sludge, addressing the methodological inconsistency that currently makes comparison between global studies difficult.

2025 Sustainability Sciences in Asia and Africa
Article Tier 2

A rapid staged protocol for efficient recovery of microplastics from soil and sediment matrices based on hydrophobic separation

Researchers developed a four-stage microplastic extraction device using a hydrophobic separation principle and tested three extracting solutions for recovering MPs from loam soil, sandy sediment, and muddy sediment matrices. Corn oil-in-NaCl solutions combined with aeration achieved the highest MP recovery rates across all three matrix types, offering a rapid alternative to existing digestion-based methods.

2022 Marine Pollution Bulletin 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Developing a systematic method for extraction of microplastics in soils

A systematic comparison of microplastic extraction methods for soils tested hydrogen peroxide, potassium hydroxide, and Fenton's reagent for organic matter removal alongside density separation, finding that method performance varied strongly with soil organic matter content and particle size distribution.

2021 Analytical Methods 183 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification of Microplastics in Soils Using Accelerated Solvent Extraction: Comparison with a Visual Sorting Method

Researchers evaluated accelerated solvent extraction as an alternative to visual sorting for quantifying microplastics in soil, finding it recovered similar total amounts but with some differences by polymer type. Improving the accuracy and efficiency of soil microplastic measurement is essential for understanding agricultural and terrestrial plastic contamination.

2021 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Extraction and Identification of a Wide Range of Microplastic Polymers in Soil and Compost

Researchers compared and optimized two microplastic extraction methods for soil and compost, finding that density separation combined with chemical digestion was effective across a wide range of polymer types, providing a more reliable protocol for terrestrial microplastic analysis.

2021 Polymers 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in complex soil matrix: Recovery, identification and removal using micro nano techniques

Researchers reviewed current methods for finding and removing microplastics from complex soil samples, noting that no single technique works well for all particle types, and proposed a step-by-step approach combining density separation, chemical purification, and photocatalytic degradation to better detect and eliminate soil microplastics.

2024 Micro and Nano Engineering 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Separation and Measurement of Microplastics in Paddy Soil

Researchers tested sodium iodide, zinc chloride, and deionized water for separating microplastics from paddy soil and found sodium iodide most effective, recovering particles ranging from 1 to 111 µm in size at abundances up to 5,800 pieces per kilogram of soil. Standardizing extraction methods like this is a prerequisite for generating reliable, comparable data on how widely microplastics have spread into agricultural soil and food crops.

2024 Journal of Environmental Protection 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Upgraded Protocol for Microplastics’ Extraction from the Soil Matrix by Sucrose Density Gradient Centrifugation

Extracting microplastics from soil is technically difficult because soil contains dense organic matter and particles that look similar to plastic under analysis. This study refined a sucrose density gradient centrifugation method to more cleanly separate microplastics from soil, improving recovery rates while reducing contamination from non-plastic material. A reliable soil extraction protocol is essential for accurately measuring how much microplastic pollution has accumulated in agricultural and urban land.

2025 Soil Systems 1 citations