This study investigates the effects of residual films on soil salt transport and crop growth. An experimental study was conducted wherein the soil was collected from cotton fields under long-term film mulching and drip irrigation in arid oasis areas to determine the distribution and accumulation of residual plastic films in the soil layers of an agricultural ecosystem. The results from the study indicated that the density of residual mulching film in cotton fields under continuous mulching for five years exceeded the limit value of the determination standard (75 kg/ha). With the increase in film mulching years, the residual film accumulated at a rate of 15.0 kg/ha annually, and it tended to migrate to the deep soil each year. The growth index, biomass, and yield also show a decreasing trend with the increase in the number of mulching years. The analysis of this study indicates the significance of increasing the recycling efficiency of the residual films and ensuring sustainable agricultural development in an oasis.
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,[…]