In this study, three horticultural crops and earthworms were tested for perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) and halogenated flame retardants (HFRs) bioaccumulation. To represent the scenario using commercial biosolids as fertiliser, spinach (Spinacia oleracea) and tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) were grown in field soil with a single application of biosolids (at agronomic rate for nitrogen). Corn (Zea mays) was grown in spiked soil (50 mg PFOS/kg soil, 5 mg Deca-BDE/kg soil, and a mixture of both, 50 mg PFOS and 5 mg Deca-BDE/kg soil) to represent the worst-case. To study soil invertebrates’ bioaccumulation, earthworms (Eisenia andrei) were subjected to spiked corn soil. The results from the study revealed that PFASs had larger transfer factors (TFs) than PBDEs in all crop plants: 2 to 9-fold in spinach, 2 to 34-fold in tomato, and 11 to 309-fold in maize. Earthworms were found to have greater bioaccumulation factor (BAF) values for PFASs compared to PBDEs.
The current study examines the contamination of microplastics in three greenhouse types: abandoned, normal, and simple. The findings revealed that the abundance of microplastics was found to be the highest in the abandoned greenhouse, followed by the normal greenhouse and simple greenhouse. The mean abundance of microplastic organic fertilizer and irrigation water was also high.[…]
The study examines the distribution of residual film after eight years of film mulching in mid-April 2018. Results from the study revealed that eight years of mulching significantly increased the quantity of agricultural mulch film residues in the soil. The size of residual film fragments was found to vary from 0.25 cm2 to 109 cm2,[…]
A study in Yuanmou County, Yunnan Province, investigated microplastic pollution in different land uses, including facility farmland, traditional farmland, orchard, grassland, and woodland. Results showed a significant difference in microplastic abundance and characteristics between different land use types. Facility farmlands, traditional farmlands, and orchard lands had higher microplastic abundance than grasslands and woodlands. The main[…]
The study analysed 225 soil samples from maize planting zones in northern China, revealing that long-term plastic film mulching increases microplastic pollution in agricultural soils. The abundance of microplastics was significantly higher in mulched soils (754 ± 477 items kg-1) than in non-mulched soils (376 ± 149 items kg-1). The length of time with film[…]
The study examined the relative abundances and morphological distributions of microplastics (MPs) in water, sediments, and farmland soils in the Caohai Lake region. The estuary in the study area was considered a potential sink for MP transportation. Transparent and black MPs accounted for a large proportion of MPs in the five environments, with possible sources[…]