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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of long-term fertilization with contemporary Danish human urine, composted household waste and sewage sludge on soil nematode abundance and community structure.
ClearUnraveling the characteristics of microplastics in agricultural soils upon long-term organic fertilizer application: A comprehensive study using diversity indices
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils that had received organic fertilizers (pig manure, chicken manure, and sewage sludge compost) for 12 years. All three fertilizer types introduced significant microplastic pollution, with risk levels classified as high across all treatments. This study shows that organic fertilizers, often considered environmentally friendly, are a major pathway for microplastics to enter the soil and potentially the food we grow in it.
Impact of sewage sludge application on soil microplastic accumulation and nutrient levels: Analysis of 22 years of data from central UK farmland
Researchers analyzed a 22-year dataset from 5,323 fields in central UK to examine the relationship between repeated sewage sludge application and microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils, alongside changes in nutrient levels such as nitrogen and phosphorus. They found that microplastic concentrations increased with cumulative sludge applications while nutrients were taken up by crops, raising concerns about long-term plastic accumulation in farmland receiving sludge-derived fertilizers.
Impact of sewage sludge application on soil microplastic accumulation and nutrient levels: Analysis of 22 years of data from central UK farmland
Researchers analyzed 22 years of data from central UK farmland to assess how repeated sewage sludge application accumulates microplastics in agricultural soil while nutrients are absorbed by crops, finding that microplastic buildup disrupts geochemical cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
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.
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.
Hidden contaminants: Unveiling the content of microplastics in municipal sewage sludge that may affect soil ecosystems
Researchers analyzed sewage sludge from two municipal treatment plants and found up to 116,000 microplastic particles per kilogram of dry sludge, with fiber-shaped and film-shaped particles dominating each plant respectively — highlighting the risk of spreading microplastic contamination to farmland when sludge is used as fertilizer.
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.
Organic fertilizers as a vector of microplastics: A comprehensive review of sources, dispersion, and environmental consequences
This review synthesized evidence on how organic fertilizers — including sewage sludge and composts — act as vectors for microplastic transport into agricultural soils. The authors document how MPs from degraded plastics, textiles, and personal care products enter farming systems and affect soil health, plant growth, and the broader food chain.
Extent and effects of microplastic pollution in soil with focus on recycling of sewage sludge and composted household waste and experiences from the long-term field experiment CRUCIAL
Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils amended with sewage sludge and compost, finding that current microplastic levels in farm fields remain below those shown to harm soil organisms in lab studies, though they caution that more long-term research is needed to confirm safety.
Organic amendments as vectors of micro and macro plastic pollution of terrestrial ecosystems
Researchers analyzed seven types of organic amendments commonly applied to farmland, including sewage sludge, manure, composts, and digestates, for microplastic contamination. They found microplastics in all samples, with sewage sludge containing the highest levels and a wide variety of polymer types. The study demonstrates that organic soil amendments are an important and underappreciated pathway through which both micro and macro plastics enter agricultural soils.
Microplastic distribution and transport in agricultural soils : from field to burrow scale
Researchers investigated the spatial distribution and transport of microplastics in agricultural soils through field surveys and laboratory experiments. They found that sewage sludge amendments led to significantly higher microplastic contamination than mineral fertilizers, and that earthworm activity was a key mechanism for moving plastic particles deeper into soil. The study highlights the importance of accounting for both horizontal and vertical microplastic transport in soils when assessing agricultural pollution.
Concentration-Dependent Impacts of Microplastics on Soil Nematode Community in Bulk Soils of Maize: Evidence From a Pot Experiment
Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics altered soil nematode community composition in a concentration-dependent manner, reducing bacterivore abundance and shifting the soil food web structure, indicating disrupted soil ecological functioning in agricultural settings.
Evidence of microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils from sewage sludge disposal
Agricultural soils from 31 fields with different sludge application histories were analyzed for microplastics, finding significant accumulation in fields with repeated sludge applications and a positive correlation between application frequency and plastic particle counts. The study provides direct field evidence that sewage sludge fertilization is a major pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soil.
Microplastics in an agricultural soil following repeated application of three types of sewage sludge: A field study
Researchers investigated microplastics in agricultural soil after repeated sewage sludge application, finding that sludge-amended soils contained significantly more small microplastic particles than unamended soils, with particle accumulation varying by sludge type.
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.
Investigating the dispersal of macro- and microplastics on agricultural fields 30 years after sewage sludge application
Researchers investigated plastic dispersal on agricultural fields 30 years after sewage sludge application, finding that macro- and microplastics persisted and migrated both horizontally and vertically in soil, demonstrating the long-term contamination legacy of sludge-based fertilization.
Coarse microplastic accumulation patterns in agricultural soils during two decades of different urban composts application
Researchers analyzed 21 years of soil samples from fields treated with three different types of urban waste compost to track how microplastics accumulate over time. They found that all compost types introduced microplastics into the soil, with distinct patterns depending on the compost source, and that certain plastic types persisted and built up over decades. The study suggests that long-term compost application is a significant pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.
Soil fertility effects of repeated application of sewage sludge in two 30-year-old field experiments
Two long-term Swedish field experiments found that repeated application of sewage sludge over 30 years maintained or improved soil fertility metrics including nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic matter content, though concerns about contaminants including microplastics were noted. The study is relevant to microplastic research because sewage sludge is one of the main pathways through which microplastics enter agricultural soils.
Extent and impact of microplastics on soil nutrients and biota: a trade-off assessment
This review examines the extent of microplastic inputs from sewage sludge applied to agricultural soils, synthesizing evidence on how sludge-derived microplastics affect soil nutrient availability, soil biota, plant performance, and crop productivity, concluding that the benefits of sludge as a soil amendment must be weighed against its role as a vector for microplastic contamination.
The soil nematode exposome: Unraveling the impacts of particulate plastics from agroecosystems to one health
Researchers propose using soil nematodes — tiny worms that are sensitive indicators of soil health — as biological sentinels for microplastic pollution, arguing that their conserved molecular pathways and ecological roles make them ideal for an integrated risk framework that connects plastic contamination in soil to broader human health outcomes.
Soil contamination with microplastics (MPs) from treated wastewater and sewage sludge: risks and sustainable mitigation strategies
Researchers reviewed how microplastics from treated wastewater and sewage sludge — both commonly applied to farmland — contaminate agricultural soils and ultimately enter the food chain, with alarming evidence of microplastics already detected in human blood, reproductive tissue, and placentas. The review calls for better wastewater treatment and sustainable farming practices to reduce this growing health threat.
Occurrence and environmental consequences of microplastics and nanoplastics from agricultural reuse of wastewater and biosolids in the soil ecosystem: A review
This review examines how wastewater and sewage sludge used in agriculture introduce microplastics and nanoplastics into farm soil, where they can persist and accumulate over time. Municipal wastewater can contain thousands of plastic particles per liter, and treated sewage sludge used as fertilizer can contain over 30,000 particles per liter. These practices create a long-term buildup of plastic contamination in agricultural soil that can affect crops, groundwater, and ultimately human food and water supplies.
Exposure assessment of plastics, phthalate plasticizers and their transformation products in diverse bio-based fertilizers
Researchers tested bio-based fertilizers made from different organic wastes and found they all contained microplastics and phthalate plasticizers (chemicals added to make plastics flexible). Fertilizers made from sewage sludge had the highest levels of contamination, and the processing methods only partially reduced the chemical pollutants. This means that using these fertilizers on farmland could be introducing microplastics and hormone-disrupting chemicals into agricultural soils and potentially into our food.