In this study, five quantitative structure–property relationship (QSPR) models were developed for predicting the microplastic/water partition coefficients (log Kd) of organics between polyethylene/seawater, polyethylene/freshwater, polyethylene/pure water, polypropylene/seawater, and polystyrene/seawater. All the QSPR models show good fitting ability (R2 = 0.811–0.939), predictive ability (Q2ext = 0.835–0.910, RMSEext = 0.369–0.752), and robustness (Qcv2 = 0.882–0.957). They can be used to predict the Kd values of organic pollutants (such as polychlorinated biphenyls, chlorobenzene, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, antibiotics perfluorinated compounds, etc.) under different pH conditions. The hydrophobic interaction has been indicated as an important mechanism for the adsorption of organic pollutants to microplastics. In sea waters, the role of hydrogen bond interaction in adsorption is considerable. For polystyrene, π–π interaction contributes to the partitioning. The developed models can be used to quickly estimate the adsorption capacity of organic pollutants on microplastics in different types of water, providing necessary information for ecological risk studies of microplastics.
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[…]