Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of five pesticides on microplastics from agricultural polyethylene films

Researchers studied how five common pesticides adsorb onto polyethylene microplastics derived from agricultural soil films. They found that all five pesticides bind to microplastic surfaces, with the process driven by both physical and chemical interactions. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soils could act as carriers for pesticide contamination, with adsorption capacity varying depending on the pesticide's chemical properties.

2019 Chemosphere 322 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring sorption of pesticides and PAHs in microplastics derived from plastic mulch films used in modern agriculture

Researchers investigated how microplastics derived from agricultural mulch films sorb pesticides and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, finding significant uptake that could facilitate transfer of these contaminants through farming environments.

2023 Chemosphere 56 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative study on the adsorption behavior of pesticides by pristine and aged microplastics from agricultural polyethylene soil films

Researchers compared how pristine and aged agricultural polyethylene film microplastics adsorb pesticides. They found that aged films, which develop rougher surfaces, more cracks, and oxygen-containing chemical groups, adsorb pesticides more readily than pristine ones. The study suggests that weathered agricultural microplastics in soil may act as carriers for pesticide contamination, potentially increasing environmental and human health risks.

2020 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 146 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the sorption/desorption processes of pesticides in biodegradable mulch films used in agriculture

Researchers evaluated how biodegradable mulch films used in agriculture interact with pesticide residues compared to conventional polyethylene films. The study found that biodegradable films actually retained higher amounts of pesticide residues and released less back into the soil than polyethylene, suggesting that these supposedly greener alternatives may act as more persistent reservoirs for agricultural chemical contaminants.

2024 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence on the processes of retention and transport of pesticides and ecotoxicity of microplastics in a tropical soil

Researchers investigated how high-density polyethylene microplastics from agricultural mulch films affect the behavior of three pesticides in tropical soil, finding that microplastics altered pesticide sorption, transport, and leaching while also increasing ecotoxicological effects on earthworms.

2023 Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations (Universidade de São Paulo)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics mulch film affects the environmental behavior of adsorption and degradation of pesticide residues in soil

Researchers tested how new, aged, and biodegradable polyethylene mulch film microplastics affect the adsorption and degradation of the pesticides imidacloprid and flumioxazin in soil. All three MP types slowed initial pesticide adsorption and extended the time to reach equilibrium, with aged MPs showing the greatest effect, potentially prolonging pesticide persistence in agricultural soils.

2022 Environmental Research 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Macro- and microplastic accumulation in soil after 32 years of plastic film mulching

Researchers quantified plastic accumulation in an agricultural field after 32 continuous years of plastic mulch film use. They found roughly 10 times more macroplastic fragments in fertilized plots than non-fertilized plots, likely because plant roots and stems became entangled with the film making removal difficult. The study found that plastic mulch contributed 33% to 56% of total microplastics detected down to one meter of soil depth, demonstrating substantial long-term accumulation from agricultural plastic use.

2022 Environmental Pollution 402 citations
Article Tier 2

A comparative study on the adsorption behavior and mechanism of pesticides on agricultural film microplastics and straw degradation products

Researchers compared how agricultural film microplastics and straw-derived cellulose particles adsorb pesticides in farmland soils, finding that both materials sorb pesticides but through different mechanisms, with microplastics showing higher affinity for hydrophobic compounds, potentially altering pesticide mobility and bioavailability.

2022 Chemosphere 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the vertical migration of pesticides in soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the vertical migration of pesticide mixtures in soil using stainless steel column experiments with sandy reference soil, finding that microplastics' hydrophobic surfaces and high sorption capacity altered the transport of 20 pesticides compared to uncontaminated soil.

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

Influência nos processos de retenção e transporte de pesticidas e ecotoxicidade de microplásticos em solo tropical

Researchers investigated how high-density polyethylene microplastics from agricultural mulch films influence the retention and transport of pesticides in tropical soil, finding that microplastics alter pesticide dynamics and may increase their environmental persistence and ecotoxicity.

2023
Article Tier 2

A laboratory comparison of the interactions between three plastic mulch types and 38 active substances found in pesticides

This laboratory study tested the sorption interactions between 38 pesticide active substances and three types of plastic mulch film, finding that on average plastics reduced the rate of pesticide degradation in soil by about 30%. Plastic mulch films used widely in agriculture can alter the persistence and behavior of pesticides in soil, compounding their combined environmental impact.

2020 PeerJ 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of neonicotinoid insecticides by mulch film-derived microplastics and their combined toxicity

Researchers studied how microplastics from agricultural mulch films interact with common insecticides used on crops. They found that biodegradable plastic (PBAT) microplastics adsorbed more pesticide than conventional polyethylene microplastics, and that aging increased this adsorption capacity. When combined, the microplastics and insecticides were more toxic to soil organisms than either pollutant alone, suggesting an underappreciated risk in agricultural soils.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in agricultural soils: Extraction and characterization after different periods of polythene film mulching in an arid region

Researchers developed a new method to extract microplastics from agricultural soil and found that fields mulched with plastic film for 30 years had the highest microplastic concentrations, at 40 mg per kilogram of soil, with particle size decreasing as the years of mulching increased. The study highlights the long-term accumulation of microplastics in soils under continuous plastic film agriculture.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 256 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental risk of multi-year polythene film mulching and its green solution in arid irrigation region

Researchers found that 19 years of polythene film mulching accumulated up to 2,900 microplastic particles per kilogram of soil along with elevated plasticizer concentrations, and demonstrated that biodegradable film alternatives could significantly reduce this environmental contamination.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 100 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption to mulch film decreases bioavailability of two model pesticides for earthworms in soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene mulch film microplastics interact with pesticides in agricultural soil and their combined effects on earthworms. The study found that sorption of pesticides to mulch film microplastics actually decreased the bioavailability of two model pesticides to earthworms, suggesting that in some cases microplastics may reduce rather than increase pesticide toxicity to soil organisms.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption to mulch film decreases bioavailability of two model pesticides for earthworms in soil

This study investigated how agricultural mulch film microplastics affect the bioavailability of pesticides to earthworms in soil. Sorption of two model pesticides onto mulch film microplastics significantly decreased their bioavailability, suggesting MPs may alter the ecological risk profile of pesticide-contaminated agricultural soils.

2025 Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft zur Förderung der angewandten Forschung e.V
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene fragments in Argentinean horticultural soils: Environmental transformation to a composite material

Researchers collected weathered polyethylene plastic fragments from agricultural soils in Argentina and found they had transformed into composite materials embedded with soil minerals like clay and iron. These environmentally aged plastics absorbed significantly more heavy metals such as nickel and lead compared to fresh plastic, up to 11 times more for lead. The study suggests that as plastics break down in farm soils, they may become more effective carriers of toxic metals, potentially increasing contamination risks.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural film-derived microplastics elevate the potential risk of pesticides in soil ecosystem: The inhibited leaching by altering soil pore

Researchers found that microplastics derived from agricultural mulch film can increase the environmental risk of pesticides by altering soil pore structure and inhibiting pesticide leaching. Smaller microplastic particles had a stronger effect on trapping pesticides in the upper soil layers, leading to higher localized concentrations. The study suggests that the co-occurrence of microplastics and pesticides in farm soils may create compounding contamination risks for agricultural ecosystems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic mulch and pesticide residues in intensive agriculture

This PhD thesis examines the environmental threats posed by plastic mulch and pesticide residues in intensive agriculture, covering seven chapters on how these inputs accumulate in soil and harm diverse organisms. Both plastics and pesticides leave persistent debris in agricultural soils with potentially harmful long-term consequences for soil health and food safety.

2022
Article Tier 2

Impacto del plástico de envases de pesticidas en suelos agrícolas: una problemática cultural del agro ecuatoriano

This study examined the microplastic contamination of agricultural soils in Latin America caused by the degradation of pesticide containers, which are often left in fields where UV light fragments them. The research highlights an underappreciated source of agricultural soil microplastic pollution that disproportionately affects small and medium-scale farmers.

2023 Ingeniería Química y Desarrollo
Article Tier 2

Different effects of polyethylene microplastics on bioaccumulation of three fungicides in maize (Zea mays L.)

Polyethylene microplastics in agricultural soil altered the sorption and dissipation of three fungicides and their accumulation in maize plants, with effects differing by fungicide type and plastic particle concentration.

2024 Crop Health 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil water repellency of two disturbed soils contaminated with different agricultural microplastics tested under controlled laboratory conditions

Researchers measured soil water repellency in two disturbed soils contaminated with different types of agricultural plastics (film mulch and drip irrigation residues), finding that microplastics altered water infiltration behavior. Plastic contamination reduced soil wettability, potentially impairing plant water uptake.

2024 Geoderma 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Sorption of organochlorine pesticides on polyethylene microplastics in soil suspension

Polyethylene microplastics sorbed organochlorine pesticide residues including hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in soil suspension experiments, with sorption capacity influenced by microplastic surface weathering and soil organic matter content, demonstrating that microplastics can act as secondary carriers for legacy pesticide contamination in agricultural soils.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 79 citations
Article Tier 2

[Occurrence and Characteristics of Macro/Micro-plastics and Phthalates in Soils Under Different Plastic Film Mulching].

Researchers assessed residual characteristics of macroplastics, microplastics, and phthalate plasticizers in agricultural soils under different plastic film mulching treatments over a three-year field experiment, comparing traditional PE film with three types of biodegradable mulch and a no-mulch control. The study examined whether biodegradable film substitution effectively reduces soil plastic and PAE residual pollution.

2025 PubMed