Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film

Qi, Ruimin1,2; Tang, Yuanyuan1; Jones, Davey L.3,4; He, Wenqing2,5; Yan, Changrong2,5

2023-12-20

10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.166935

SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT   Impact Factor & Quartile

0048-9697

1879-1026

There is a major knowledge gap concerning the extent of microplastic pollution in agronomic regions of China, which represent a plastic use hotspot. In order to clarify the amendment of agronomic region and plastic film mulching mode to microplastics distribution, the characteristics of microplastics distributed in agricultural soils from three typical regions (Beijing (BJ), Shandong (SD), and Xinjiang (XJ)) with two plastic film mulching modes (greenhouse (G) and conventional field-based film mulching (M)) in China were investigated. Microplastics weight and their response to planting regions were also evaluated in this study. The result showed that the average abundance of microplastics in soils from BJ, SD, and XJ was 1.83 x 104 items kg-1, 4.02 x 104 items kg- 1, and 3.39 x 104 items kg- 1, and the estimated weight of microplastics per kg of dry soils was 3.12 mg kg- 1, 5.63 mg kg- 1, and 7.99 mg kg- 1, respectively. Microplastics in farmland were mainly of small particle size (50 to 250 mu m), with their abundance decreasing with increasing particle size. Among the microplastics detected, polyethylene and polypropylene were the two dominant types present, accounting for 50.0% and 19.7%, respectively. The standard total effect of planting regions on microplastic number and weight was 31.8% and 32.3%, and plastic film mulching modes (G vs. M) could explain 34.4% of the total variation of microplastic compositions with a contribution rate of 65.6% in this study. This research provides key data for an assessment of the environmental risk of microplastics and supports the development of guidelines for the sustainable use of agricultural plastic film. Further, it is necessary to quantify , assess the contribution of other different plastic sources to microplastics in soil. Big data technologies or isotope tracer techniques may be promising approaches.

Microplastics Spatial distribution Morphology and composition Plastic mulch film Planting regions

SCI

English

First

National Natural Science Foundation of China[NSFC-UNEP: 32261143459] ; Global Challenges Research Fund[NE/V005871/1] ; Science and Technology Program of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China[2022YFHH0042]

Environmental Sciences & Ecology

Environmental Sciences

WOS:001081389000001

ELSEVIER

ENVIRONMENT/ECOLOGY

Web of Science

1.Southern Univ Sci & Technol, Coll Engn, Sch Environm Sci & Engn, Shenzhen 518055, Peoples R China
2.Minist Agr & Rural Affairs, Key Lab Prevent & Control Residual Pollut Agr Film, Beijing 100081, Peoples R China
3.Bangor Univ, Sch Nat Sci, Bangor LL57 2UW, Gwynedd, Wales
4.Murdoch Univ, Food Futures Inst, SoilsWest, Murdoch, WA 6150, Australia
5.Chinese Acad Agr Sci, Inst Environm & Sustainable Dev Agr, Beijing 100081, Peoples R China

Qi, Ruimin,Tang, Yuanyuan,Jones, Davey L.,et al. Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film[J]. SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT,2023,905.

Qi, Ruimin,Tang, Yuanyuan,Jones, Davey L.,He, Wenqing,&Yan, Changrong.(2023).Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film.SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT,905.

Qi, Ruimin,et al."Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in soils from greenhouse and open-field cultivation using plastic mulch film".SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 905(2023).