This paper presents a comprehensive and current summary of the literature on the sources and properties of MNPs in agricultural ecosystems. The study also provides a methodology for the isolation and characterization of MNPs recovered from soil, MNP surrogate materials that mimic the size and properties of soil-borne MNPs, and the transport of MNPs through the soil matrix. The impacts and risks of agricultural MNPs on crops, soil microorganisms, and fauna are also presented in this paper. The paper also highlights that long-term studies are needed to address current knowledge gaps in formation, soil surface and subsurface transport, and environmental impacts of MNPs, including those that are derived from biodegradable mulch films, which ultimately undergo complete mineralization but will reside in the soil for several months. The complexity and variability of agricultural soil ecosystems and the difficulty in recovering MNPs from soil call for a deeper understanding of the fundamental relationships between MPs, NPs, soil biota, and microbiota, including the ecotoxicological effects of MNPs on earthworms, soil-dwelling invertebrates, and beneficial soil microorganisms, as well as soil geochemical attributes.
This paper characterizes the fungal and bacterial colonizers of 5 types of plastic films (High-Density Polyethylene, Low-Density Polyethylene, Polypropylene, Polystyrene, and Polyethylene Terephthalate) throughout a 242-day incubation in the south-eastern Mediterranean and relates them to the chemical changes observed on the surface of the samples via ATR-FTIR. Neither bacterial nor fungal community structures were related[…]
This paper provides insights into the sustainable alternatives that can replace conventional plastic mulches, such as biodegradable mulches made from natural fibers and biopolymers. The microscopic and FTIR analyses conducted during the study showed the degradation of the fibers from the mulches during the exposure time to a certain extent. The nonwoven mulches provide higher[…]
This paper investigates the degradation of biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) and traditional polyethylene (PE) plastic under two typical abiotic conditions: ultraviolet (UV) irradiation and mechanical abrasion (MA) for up to nine months. The quantitative analysis of the degradation products was carried out using membrane filtration and total organic carbon determination (MF-TOCD). The results[…]
This paper identifies technological innovation, policy formulation, advocacy and sensitization, and bioremediation as some of the approaches that are currently used for the mitigation of plastic pollution in Nigeria. This chapter also highlights the need to encourage, enhance, and disseminate scientific research on mitigating the harmful effects of plastic pollution in Nigeria. It concluded with[…]
This review provides insights into the sources of microplastics, the ecotoxicity of microplastics, and the impact microplastics have on aquatic and marine life, management, and bioremediation of microplastics. Policies and strategies adopted by the government to combat microplastic pollution are also discussed in this review. Microplastics tend to accumulate in many aquatic systems, contaminate them,[…]