Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Exploration of Source-Specific Markers for Secondary Microplastics Derived from Polyolefin-Coated Fertilizers

Researchers identified characteristic fatty acids and levoglucosan as source-specific chemical markers for microplastics derived from polyolefin-coated fertilizers used in Japanese agriculture, detectable via thermal desorption GC-MS. Applying a stepwise identification framework to agricultural soil samples, they correctly attributed 14 of 15 white microplastic fragments to fertilizer coatings, providing a practical tool for microplastic source tracking in agroecosystems.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Pyr-GC-MS analysis of microplastics extracted from farmland soils

This study used pyrolysis-GC-MS to identify and quantify microplastics in farmland soils, finding multiple polymer types in agricultural fields. The work helps establish analytical methods for studying this growing but less-studied pathway of microplastic contamination.

2021 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastics extracted from field soils amended with municipal biosolids

Researchers developed a method for extracting and identifying microplastics from agricultural soils that had been treated with municipal biosolids, a common fertilizer derived from wastewater treatment. They found a variety of plastic polymer types in the soil, confirming that biosolid application is a pathway for microplastic contamination of farmland. The study provides a reliable technique for tracking how microplastics cycle through agricultural environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 20 citations
Article Tier 2

An overview of microplastics characterization by thermal analysis

This review explores the potential of thermal analytical techniques - including thermogravimetry and pyrolysis-GC/MS - for identifying and characterizing microplastics in environmental samples, covering both manufactured primary microplastics and degradation-derived secondary ones. Thermal methods offer advantages for bulk quantification and polymer identification that complement spectroscopic approaches.

2019 Chemosphere 213 citations
Article Tier 2

Chromatografische Verfahren zur Charakterisierung von Mikroplastik im Boden

This study reviewed chromatographic methods for characterizing microplastics in soil, assessing their suitability for identifying and quantifying the diverse polymer types accumulating in terrestrial environments due to decades of widespread plastic use.

2023
Article Tier 2

Determination of microplastics in agricultural soil by double‐shot pyrolysis‐gas chromatography combined with two‐step extraction

Researchers developed a pyrolysis-gas chromatography method combining two-step solvent extraction to simultaneously measure five common microplastic polymer types (PC, PS, PP, PE, PET) in agricultural soil samples with good sensitivity and linearity. A reliable, validated method for quantifying microplastics in soil is essential for understanding how agricultural practices and plastic mulch use contribute to soil contamination and potential human dietary exposure.

2023 Journal of Separation Science 12 citations
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

Microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils: Source apportionment and impact on soil microbial community structure

Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation patterns in intensively farmed agricultural soils at multiple depth intervals, using polymer fingerprinting to apportion contamination sources among plastic mulch, treated wastewater irrigation, and organic amendment application. The study assessed impacts on soil microbial community structure using FTIR-confirmed microplastics extracted by zinc chloride density flotation.

2024 International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development
Article Tier 2

Quantification and Analysis of Microplastics in Farmland Soils: Characterization, Sources, and Pathways

This study quantified and characterized microplastics in farmland soils from multiple sites, identifying agricultural mulch films, irrigation water, and compost as major sources and documenting widespread soil contamination across different farming regions.

2021 Agriculture 99 citations
Article Tier 2

An Overlooked Entry Pathway of Microplastics into Agricultural Soils from Application of Sludge-Based Fertilizers

Researchers analyzed sludge-based fertilizers applied to agricultural soils and found high microplastic concentrations (hundreds to thousands per kilogram of dry weight) that were transferred to soils after application, identifying this as an important but overlooked pathway for terrestrial microplastic contamination.

2020 Environmental Science & Technology 378 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimization, performance, and application of a pyrolysis-GC/MS method for the identification of microplastics

Researchers optimized a pyrolysis-GC/MS method for identifying and quantifying microplastics in environmental samples, improving the reliability of polymer identification especially for small particles that are difficult to classify visually. The improved method is particularly valuable for analyzing the smallest microplastic size fractions that dominate by number in marine environments.

2018 Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry 329 citations
Article Tier 2

Novel integrated workflow for microplastics extraction, quantification, and characterization in organic fertilizing residuals using micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR)

Researchers developed a reliable method for extracting and measuring microplastics in organic fertilizers like compost and biosolids that are spread on farm fields. The technique successfully detected 19 different plastic types down to very small sizes in fertilizer samples from Quebec, Canada. This is important because organic fertilizers are a major but often unmeasured source of microplastics entering agricultural soil, which can then reach crops and the food supply.

2025 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Differentiation of petro-sourced plastic microfilaments from organic microfilaments by SEM-EDX in environmental samples

Researchers developed methods to differentiate petrochemical-sourced plastic microfilaments from natural and biogenic fibers in environmental samples, improving the accuracy of microplastic identification. The approach reduces misclassification errors that have complicated comparisons across monitoring studies.

2024 Marine Pollution Bulletin 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of microplastics in agricultural soils in southern Portugal

Researchers conducted the first survey of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils from southern Portugal, collecting samples across four land-use areas with different farming practices and characterizing polymer types and their associations with agricultural history in a Mediterranean system.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Prevalence of microplastics in agricultural soils in southern Portugal

Researchers conducted the first survey of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils from southern Portugal, collecting samples across four land-use areas with different farming practices and characterizing polymer types and their associations with agricultural history in a Mediterranean system.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Systematic Development of a Simultaneous Determination of Plastic Particle Identity and Adsorbed Organic Compounds by Thermodesorption–Pyrolysis GC/MS (TD-Pyr-GC/MS)

Researchers developed a new pyrolysis-based analytical method that can simultaneously identify the polymer type and measure adsorbed organic pollutants on plastic particles in a single step. This combined approach removes the need for complex extraction steps and could simplify the detection of plastic-associated chemical contaminants in environmental samples.

2020 Molecules 37 citations
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

Tracking the source of microplastics in soil—an exploratory case study in peach orchards from east-central Portugal

Researchers tracked the sources and types of microplastics found in agricultural soil at peach orchards in east-central Portugal by analyzing soil, irrigation water, organic fertilizers, and atmospheric fallout. They identified microplastics from multiple entry points, including irrigation and soil amendments, with fibers and fragments being the most common shapes. The study demonstrates the need for a multi-source approach to understanding how microplastics accumulate in farmland.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A risk assessment framework for fragmenting (micro-)plastics. A case study for polymer coated fertilizers in soil

Researchers developed a risk assessment framework specifically for fragmenting microplastics from polymer-coated fertilizers in agricultural soils, incorporating fragmentation dynamics and bioavailable particle fractions. The framework found that current environmental concentrations of PCF-derived microplastics approach hazardous levels for some soil organisms.

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

Simultaneous Trace Identification and Quantification of Common Types of Microplastics in Environmental Samples by Pyrolysis-Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry

Researchers developed a method for simultaneous trace identification and quantification of common microplastic types in environmental samples, improving detection efficiency and enabling more accurate monitoring of multiple plastic polymers at once.

2017 Environmental Science & Technology 589 citations
Article Tier 2

Simply Applicable Method for Microplastics Determination in Environmental Samples

Researchers developed a simplified headspace solid-phase microextraction followed by GC-MS method for detecting and identifying microplastics in environmental soil and water samples, offering a more accessible alternative to pyrolysis-GC-MS for routine environmental monitoring.

2021 Molecules 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil contamination by microplastics in a small French agricultural watershed

Researchers characterized microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across a small French watershed, examining how various farming practices influence microplastic sources, distribution, and fate in soil environments outside of previously studied regions like China.

2025 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Analysis of microplastics in the environment: Identification and quantification of trace levels of common types of plastic polymers using pyrolysis-GC/MS

Researchers developed analytical methods using pyrolysis coupled with gas chromatography-mass spectrometry for identifying and quantifying 12 common plastic polymers in environmental samples. The validated method achieved detection limits as low as 0.1 micrograms and was successfully applied to analyze microplastics collected from three Mediterranean beaches in northeastern Spain.

2023 MethodsX 81 citations