Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

A method for extracting soil microplastics through circulation of sodium bromide solutions

A sodium bromide solution circulation method was developed and validated for extracting microplastics from soil samples, offering a practical and efficient alternative to other density separation techniques. The method's high recovery efficiency and relatively low cost make it suitable for large-scale soil monitoring programs studying microplastic contamination in agricultural and natural soils.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 184 citations
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 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 simple method for the extraction and identification of light density microplastics from soil

This study developed and validated a simple method for extracting and identifying low-density microplastics from sediment samples, offering a practical and cost-effective approach for environmental monitoring.

2017 The Science of The Total Environment 525 citations
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

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
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

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

Laboratory Designed Portable Device for Density Separation and Characterization of Microplastics in Environmental Soil Samples

Scientists designed a small, portable device for extracting microplastics from soil and sediment samples using a density separation method with different salt solutions, successfully isolating PET, LDPE, PVC, and PP from samples collected in school yards, lakesides, and agricultural fields. A portable, low-cost device lowers the barrier to field-based microplastic monitoring and could enable wider participation in pollution surveys.

2024 Letters in Applied NanoBioScience 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Comparison of Oil Extraction and Density Extraction Method to Extract Microplastics for Typical Agricultural Soils in China

This study compared two methods for extracting microplastics from agricultural soils across China: an oil-based method and a traditional density-based method using salt water. Researchers found the oil extraction approach was more effective overall, especially for denser plastics like PET, while soil chemistry, particularly iron and aluminum content, could reduce extraction efficiency for both methods.

2024 Agronomy 7 citations
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

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

Modified oil extraction of pristine and weathered synthetic polyurea microcapsules and polyethylene microplastics from soil

Researchers tested an oil-based extraction method to pull microplastics out of agricultural soils and found it recovered up to 75% of plastic particles — outperforming the standard density separation approach, especially for tiny pesticide microcapsules. Accurate extraction methods are essential for understanding how much microplastic builds up in farm soils from mulch films and pesticide coatings.

2025 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 1 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

Olive oil-based method for the extraction, quantification and identification of microplastics in soil and compost samples

An olive oil-based extraction method was developed for recovering microplastics from soil and compost samples, exploiting the oleophilic properties of plastics to separate them regardless of their density. Recovery rates were consistently above 90% for six different polymer types, including high-density polymers that conventional density separation methods often miss.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 173 citations
Article Tier 2

An effective method for the rapid detection of microplastics in soil

A rapid and practical method was developed for detecting and identifying microplastics in soil, addressing the need for faster alternatives to existing time-consuming techniques. The method uses a combination of sieving and staining approaches to accelerate microplastic extraction and identification from soil samples.

2020 Chemosphere 53 citations
Article Tier 2

A Low-Cost Approach for Batch Separation, Identification and Quantification of Microplastics in Agriculture Soil

This study developed a low-cost method to efficiently separate and identify microplastics from agricultural soil, particularly film-type fragments that come from mulching plastics. Having reliable, affordable analytical methods is essential for generating the large-scale data needed to understand how widespread agricultural microplastic contamination is and how it changes over time.

2023 Toxics 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Separation of microplastic from soil by centrifugation and its application to agricultural soil

Researchers developed a centrifugation-based protocol combined with Fenton oxidation and Nile Red fluorescence microscopy to efficiently separate and quantify microplastics from agricultural soil samples, recovering over 95% of spiked particles.

2021 Chemosphere 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification and characterization of extracted microplastics from agricultural soil near industrial area: FTIR and X‐ray diffraction method

Researchers extracted and characterized microplastics from agricultural soil near a plastics manufacturing site, finding a range of polymer types and shapes and demonstrating an effective isolation protocol using density flotation with saturated NaCl.

2023 Environmental Quality Management 22 citations
Article Tier 2

A Method for the Extraction and Analysis of Microplastics from Tropical Agricultural Soils in Southeastern Brazil

Researchers developed and validated a method for extracting and analyzing microplastics from tropical agricultural soils, adapting density separation and filtration protocols to account for the high organic matter and clay content typical of tropical soil matrices.

2025 Soil Systems 4 citations
Article Tier 2

A commonly available and easily assembled device for extraction of bio/non-degradable microplastics from soil by flotation in NaBr solution

Researchers developed and validated a low-cost, widely available device for separating both biodegradable (PBS, PBAT, PLA) and non-degradable (PE, PP, PVC, PET) microplastics from soil using density flotation in sodium bromide (NaBr) solution, with a combined circulation and recovery system to reduce salt waste. Spike-and-recovery experiments confirmed high accuracy and precision for both biodegradable and conventional microplastic types.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 68 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

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

Optimized microplastic analysis based on size fractionation, density separation and μ-FTIR

Researchers optimized a multi-step method for extracting and identifying microplastics from soil and sediment, combining grain size separation, density flotation, and infrared microscopy. The validated method achieved high recovery rates for eight common plastic polymers, contributing to more reliable monitoring of soil microplastic contamination.

2020 Water Science & Technology 59 citations