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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics in Composts as a Barrier to the Development of Circular Economy
ClearMicroplastics identification and quantification in the composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste
Researchers quantified microplastics in composted organic municipal solid waste from five facilities, finding contamination levels that raise concerns about compost quality and the potential transfer of microplastics to agricultural soils through organic waste recycling.
Comprehensive understanding of microplastics in compost: Ecological risks and degradation mechanisms
This review examines how microplastics enter soil through compost made from household waste, sewage sludge, and agricultural waste. Microplastics in compost can disrupt soil structure, reduce fertility, and persist in the environment long after application. Since compost is widely used in farming, this represents a significant pathway for microplastics to contaminate agricultural soil and potentially enter the food chain.
Microplastics as an underestimated emerging contaminant in solid organic waste and their biological products: Occurrence, fate and ecological risks
This review identified solid organic waste streams including compost, sewage sludge, and food waste as important but underappreciated repositories of microplastics that can reintroduce particles into agricultural soils and water systems. The authors call for standardized monitoring of microplastics in organic waste before environmental application.
A systematic review of the occurrence of microplastics in compost: Understanding the abundance, sources, characteristics and ecological risk
Researchers reviewed 19 global studies and found microplastics in virtually all types of compost — including those made from animal manure, sewage sludge, and municipal waste — with concentrations reaching up to 288,000 particles per kilogram in some samples. Since compost is widely applied to farmland, these findings highlight a significant but overlooked pathway for microplastics to enter soils and the food chain.
Microplastics in composts, digestates, and food wastes: A review
This review examines how food waste composting and recycling processes can introduce microplastics into agricultural soil. When food waste mixed with plastic packaging is composted or processed through anaerobic digestion, microplastic fragments can end up in the soil amendments spread on farmland. The findings highlight an overlooked pathway by which microplastics enter the food chain, as crops grown in contaminated compost may absorb or accumulate plastic particles.
From waste to resource: unveiling the nexus between compost, microplastics, and agroecosystem
This review examines how compost derived from municipal waste introduces microplastics into agricultural soils, with polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET being the most commonly found polymers. Researchers found that smaller microplastic particles pose greater risks to agroecosystem sustainability, and that even bioplastics can persist as a non-point source of contamination. The study suggests that adding biochar during composting and stricter monitoring of feedstock quality could help reduce microplastic contamination.
Microplastic pollution and the related ecological risks of organic composts from different raw materials
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in 124 organic compost samples made from livestock manure, poultry waste, crop straw, and solid waste, finding that all types contained significant microplastic loads. Solid waste compost had the highest levels while crop straw compost had the lowest, and the particles showed signs of weathering and mineral attachment. The findings suggest that applying organic compost to farmland may be an underappreciated source of microplastic pollution entering agricultural soils.
Determination and quantification of microplastics in compost
Researchers analyzed commercially available compost products to determine how much microplastic contamination they contain. They found microplastics in all tested composts, with fibers and fragments being the most common forms, primarily made of polyethylene and polypropylene. The findings raise concerns that applying commercial compost to agricultural land may be an overlooked pathway for introducing microplastics into soil.
Long-term application of organic compost is the primary contributor to microplastic pollution of soils in a wheat–maize rotation
Researchers found that 11 years of organic compost application was the primary contributor to microplastic accumulation in wheat-maize rotation soils, with pig and cow manure composts introducing significant quantities of microplastic particles into agricultural fields.
Plastics and other extraneous matter in municipal solid waste compost: A systematic review of sources, occurrence, implications, and fate in amended soils
Researchers reviewed contamination in municipal compost made from household organic waste, finding plastics are the most prevalent pollutant — with some batches containing enough plastic to deposit over 500 kg per hectare of farmland each year. Repeated use of contaminated compost builds up microplastics in soil, threatening soil health and potentially moving plastic particles into crops and food.
Unveiling the abundance and potential impacts of microplastic contamination in commercial organic fertilizers/compost produced from different solid waste
Researchers analyzed commercial organic fertilizers made from different waste sources and found microplastics in 80% of the samples, with compost from mixed municipal waste containing the highest levels. The estimated amounts of microplastics being introduced into agricultural soils through these fertilizers exceeded previous reports. The study highlights the need for stricter regulations on organic fertilizer quality to prevent microplastic contamination of farmland.
Do contaminants compromise the use of recycled nutrients in organic agriculture? A review and synthesis of current knowledge on contaminant concentrations, fate in the environment and risk assessment
This review examines whether recycled nutrients from waste streams, such as sewage sludge and compost, introduce harmful contaminants including microplastics into organic farmland. While levels of heavy metals and many pollutants have decreased in European waste streams, microplastic contamination in agricultural soil remains widespread and poorly understood. The review highlights that spreading waste-derived fertilizers on farmland is a significant pathway for microplastics to enter the food production system.
Microplastic in Australian processed organics: Abundance, characteristics and potential transport to soil ecosystem
Researchers analyzed processed organic waste products from 11 facilities across Australia and found microplastics in every sample, with concentrations ranging from 1,500 to 16,000 particles per kilogram. They estimated that billions to trillions of microplastic particles could be transferred to Australian soils annually through the application of compost and biosolids. The findings highlight that recycling organic waste, while beneficial for waste reduction, may inadvertently spread microplastic contamination to agricultural land.
The treatment of the organic fraction of municipal solid waste (OFMSW) as a possible source of micro- and nano-plastics and bioplastics in agroecosystems: a review
Researchers reviewed how treating municipal organic waste — like food scraps — for compost and fertilizer introduces micro- and nanoplastics, including fragments of biodegradable plastics, into farmland soils, with current data too limited to fully assess the contamination risk of applying this waste to agricultural fields.
Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application
Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 23 commercial organic fertilizers, finding widespread presence at levels that could meaningfully contribute to agricultural soil pollution when fertilizers are applied. The results raise concerns about organic fertilizers as an underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering farm soils and the food system.
Compost‐Hosted Microplastics – Municipal Solid Waste Compost
This review examines microplastics hosted in municipal solid waste compost, addressing a gap in research that has largely focused on marine ecosystems, and discussing the sources, prevalence, and potential impacts of microplastics in compost on terrestrial ecosystems, agriculture, and soil health.
Microplastic Abundance in the Locally Produced Commercial Compost and the Characteristics
Researchers measured microplastic abundance in locally produced commercial compost, characterizing particle morphology, size, and polymer type. The compost contained measurable microplastic concentrations dominated by polyester fibres and polyethylene fragments, confirming that commercial composting does not eliminate microplastic contamination and may serve as a route for soil plastic input.
Composting treatment increases the risk of microplastics pollution in process and compost products
Researchers found that the composting process actually increases microplastic contamination rather than reducing it, breaking larger plastic pieces into smaller, more numerous particles. Even when visible plastics were sorted out before composting, the final compost still contained thousands of microplastic particles per kilogram. Since compost is widely applied to farm fields, this study reveals an overlooked pathway for microplastics to enter agricultural soil and potentially the food supply.
Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in organic fertilizers in China
Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in organic fertilizers across China, finding widespread plastic particles in compost, manure, and biosolids, identifying fertilizer application as an emerging pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Biowaste Compost Amendment is a Source of Microplastic Pollution in Agricultural Soils
Researchers found microplastics in Indian agricultural soils amended with biowaste compost, with concentrations increasing in proportion to years of compost application. Polypropylene was the dominant polymer type, showing that compost amendments can introduce microplastics into farmland soils.
Organic fertilizer as a vehicle for the entry of microplastic into the environment
Researchers analyzed organic fertilizers produced from biowaste composting and fermentation and found microplastic particles in all samples tested. The contamination likely enters the fertilizer through improperly sorted household waste that includes plastic packaging and other synthetic materials. The study identifies organic fertilizer application as a previously overlooked pathway for introducing microplastics into agricultural soils, which could have implications for soil health and food safety.
The Cost of Plastics in Compost
This study examined the cost and time associated with removing plastics from green waste before composting in Malawi, finding that plastic contamination is a major barrier to making composting economically viable. Plastic in compost feedstocks spreads microplastics into soils when the compost is applied to farm fields.
Distribution characteristics of microplastics in typical organic solid wastes and their biologically treated products
Researchers extracted and characterized microplastics from food waste, livestock manure, sludge, and their composted or digested products, finding MPs in all organic waste types with concentrations varying by matrix. The study highlights organic waste management pathways as an understudied route for microplastic transfer to agricultural soils.
Microplastic contamination of organic fertilisers applied to agricultural soils
This study examined microplastic contamination in organic fertilizers applied to agricultural soils, finding plastic particles in multiple fertilizer types. Organic fertilizers derived from sewage sludge or compost can introduce microplastics into farmland, potentially contaminating crops and groundwater.