In this study, two common sources, i.e., domestic wastewater and road run-off from tire and road wear particles, were studied in detail to quantify the relative contribution of both domestic sources towards microplastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems in Flanders, Belgium. Assessment from the study revealed that every person in the study area emits an average of 1145 microplastics (25–1000 m) daily through domestic wastewater, resulting in a yearly discharge of 418,000 microplastic particles per person. The road run-off samples that were analysed contained between 0.02 and 9.2 mg of tire wear particles per litre per day, which corresponds to the emission of 10.8 mg of tire wear particles per driven vehicle km. The results of the study reveal that specific mitigation measures can be installed to reduce the emission of microplastics into the freshwater ecosystem. Also, various other sources can be quantified similarly for a more holistic strategy to counteract plastic pollution.
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[…]