We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Unveiling the potency of polymers and their environmental implications: an agricultural perspective
ClearSuperabsorbent polymers in soil: The new microplastics?
This review examines whether superabsorbent polymers used in agriculture, personal care products, and construction could become a new form of microplastic pollution in soil. Researchers found that weathering may transform these polymers into solid plastic-like residues over time, though the specific conditions driving this transformation are not yet well understood. The study suggests more research is needed to determine the long-term environmental fate of these widely used materials.
Advancements and challenges in controlled-release fertilisers: An approach to integrate biopolymer-based strategies
This review examines controlled-release fertilizers, which are designed to deliver nutrients to plants gradually, and finds that many use synthetic polymer coatings that can leave microplastic residues in soil. The authors highlight biopolymers made from natural materials like chitosan, cellulose, and starch as promising alternatives that can biodegrade without contributing to plastic pollution. The shift toward biodegradable fertilizer coatings could help reduce a significant but often overlooked source of agricultural microplastic contamination.
Analysis of Slow-Released Fertilisers as a Source of Microplastics
Analysis of slow-release fertilisers coated with polymer shells found that these products can release microplastics into agricultural soils as the coatings degrade. Two major manufacturers' products showed varying polymer compositions and differing abilities to adsorb soil contaminants, raising concerns about MP accumulation from fertiliser use.
Review: Superabsorbent polymers in soil: The new microplastics? — R0/PR2
This paper asks whether superabsorbent polymers used in agriculture and personal care products could be the next microplastic concern. Like conventional microplastics, synthetic superabsorbent polymers can persist in soils, affect plant and soil organism health, and may need regulatory attention.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: Sources, Fate, and Interactions with Other Contaminants
This review examines how microplastics enter farmland through irrigation, fertilizers, and plastic mulch, and how long-term farming practices affect their spread and aging in soil. The paper highlights that microplastics can either increase or decrease the toxicity of co-existing pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals depending on how strongly each contaminant binds to soil versus plastic particles.
Tiny toxins, big problems: the hidden threat of microplastic in agroecosystems
This review examines the impacts of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, covering sources from plastic mulch and irrigation, effects on soil structure, water retention, microbial diversity, and nutrient cycling, and consequences for crop health and food safety.
Review: Superabsorbent polymers in soil: The new microplastics? — R0/PR3
This peer review evaluates a paper on whether superabsorbent polymers in soil should be considered a new form of microplastics. The review contributes to the scientific discourse on defining and understanding emerging polymer pollutants in agricultural environments.
Polymeric Hydrogels in Agriculture: Environmental Performance, Sustainability Challenges, and Future Perspectives
A review assessed the environmental performance and degradation behavior of polymeric hydrogels used in agriculture as soil moisture-retaining agents. The study raises concerns about whether these materials break down safely or contribute to microplastic accumulation in farmland soils.
Investigating the sustainability of agricultural plastic products, combined influence of polymer characteristics and environmental conditions on microplastics aging
Researchers investigated how polymer characteristics and environmental conditions influence the photodegradation of agricultural plastic products in soil. The study examined low-density polyethylene microplastic degradation under different UV radiation and humidity conditions. The findings suggest that environmental factors significantly affect how agricultural plastics break down into microplastics, with implications for understanding long-term soil contamination from farming practices.
Do Microplastics and Nanoplastics Pose Risks to Biota in Agricultural Ecosystems?
This review examines the growing presence of micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soils, estimated at over 0.5 megatons annually. Researchers found that these particles can have varied effects on soil properties, microorganisms, invertebrates, and plants, depending on polymer type, additives, and exposure duration. The study highlights that agricultural soils serve as major reservoirs for plastic pollution and calls for standardized research methods and regulatory guidelines to address the risks to food web safety.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soil and Their Impact: A Review
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils through sources like plastic mulch films, sewage sludge, and fertilizers. The particles can affect soil structure, microbial activity, and plant health, with common polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene found across farmland. The study emphasizes the need for better plastic waste management to protect agricultural ecosystems from growing microplastic contamination.
[Adverse Effects and Underlying Mechanisms of Soil Microplastics on Crops and Its Preventive Strategies].
This review summarizes the pollution status of microplastics in agricultural soils and their adverse effects on crops, including mechanical damage, oxidative stress, and genotoxicity leading to disrupted plant growth and metabolism. Researchers also examined how hazardous substances released from microplastics and contaminants adsorbed onto their surfaces contribute to soil ecosystem harm. The study identifies source control and biodegradation as the most promising strategies for reducing microplastic risks to crop production.
Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation?
This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.
Superabsorbent Hydrogels in the Agriculture and Reclamation of Degraded Areas
This review examines superabsorbent hydrogels, polymer materials that can absorb hundreds of times their weight in water, and their use in agriculture and land restoration. Researchers found that while these materials can significantly improve soil water retention and crop yields, concerns remain about chemical leaching and potential microplastic generation as they degrade. The study suggests that more research is needed on the long-term environmental safety of synthetic hydrogels in soil.
Origin, Occurrence and Threats of Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: A Comprehensive Review
This comprehensive review examines how microplastics enter and accumulate in agricultural soils through plastic mulch films, sewage sludge, and fertilizers. Researchers found that polypropylene and polyethylene are the dominant polymers in farmland soils, and that microplastics negatively affect soil microbial communities, harm soil invertebrates, and can induce oxidative stress and cell damage in plants.
Effect of microplastics used in agronomic practices on agricultural soil properties and plant functions: Potential contribution to the circular economy of rural areas
Researchers measured the effects of microplastics used in common agricultural practices — including mulch film residues and irrigation-delivered particles — on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Microplastic presence altered soil aggregation, water retention, and microbial community composition, with effects depending on plastic concentration, polymer type, and soil texture.
Microplastics accumulation in agricultural soil: Evidence for the presence, potential effects, extraction, and current bioremediation approaches
This review examines the accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulching and irrigation, discussing their effects on soil properties and crop growth, along with current bioremediation approaches for removing soil microplastics.
Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review
Researchers reviewed 85 studies on biodegradable microplastics in soil, finding that when biodegradable plastics fail to fully break down they can disrupt soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial life in ways that depend heavily on concentration and plastic type. The review highlights that "biodegradable" plastics are not a simple fix for microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.
Impact of Microplastics on Soil Health: Soil-Water Retention, Shrinkage and Holding Properties
A review of research on microplastics in soil found that plastic particles can alter water retention, shrinkage, and structural properties in ways that could reduce agricultural productivity. Because microplastics are as prevalent in soils as in oceans, their terrestrial impacts warrant much greater research attention.
Microplastics in Agriculture- a Review
This review examines the growing presence of microplastics in agricultural environments, covering their sources from plastic mulch films and irrigation water, their effects on soil health and crop quality, and the implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: An Emerging Threat to Soil Health, Microbial Ecology, Crop Productivity, and Food Safety
This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt soil microbial communities, harm plant health, and potentially enter the human food chain. The study highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address this growing but often overlooked form of pollution in farmland.
Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils: Impacts on soil properties and plant performance
This review synthesized research on microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, examining how MPs affect soil physical properties, chemistry, and plant growth performance. It identified key knowledge gaps around MP accumulation rates, long-term soil effects, and impacts on food crop yields.
Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact
This systematic review traces the full lifecycle of plastic mulch films used in farming, from application to breakdown in soil. While these films boost crop yields, they leave behind persistent residues that fragment into microplastics, potentially contaminating soil and groundwater. The review highlights the need for biodegradable alternatives to reduce long-term microplastic accumulation in agricultural land.
Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact
This systematic review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down over time and release microplastics into farm soil. The films improve crop growth but create lasting environmental damage as plastic fragments accumulate and alter soil properties. The findings underscore the importance of developing truly biodegradable alternatives to protect farmland from microplastic pollution.