A Research Says European Farmland May Be the World's Largest Reservoir of Microplastics

According to a new research, farmlands in Europe may be the world's largest reservoir of microplastics due to significant amounts detected in fertilizers obtained from sewage sludge.

Cardiff University researchers calculated that between 31,000 and 42,000 tons of microplastic particles (or 86-710 trillion microplastic particles) are introduced to European soils each year, reflecting the quantity of microplastics detected in ocean surface waters.

Microplastics in agriculture

(Photo : CHARLY TRIBALLEAU/AFP via Getty Images)

According to a research published in the journal Environmental Pollution, microplastics extracted from raw sewage at wastewater treatment plants make up around 1% of the volume of wastewater, which is frequently used as a fertilizer on farms across Europe, as per ScienceDaily.

The United Kingdom was found to have the largest potential for microplastics pollution in its soils, with 500-1000 microplastic particles applied per square meter of agricultural land each year, followed by Spain, Portugal, and Germany.

Industrial wastewater is widely utilized on agricultural land throughout Europe as a sustainable and renewable source of fertilizer, thanks in part to EU laws that encourage the diversion of sewage sludge away from landfill and incineration and toward energy generation and agriculture.

Microplastics placed on farms will ultimately be transferred back into the natural watercourse via surface water runoff or groundwater penetration.

Microplastics, which are less than 5mm in size, constitute a considerable concern to animals because they are readily eaten and can transport pollutants, poisonous chemicals, and deadly viruses, possibly affecting the entire food chain.

According to main author of the study James Lofty from Cardiff University's School of Engineering, their research concerns whether microplastics are actually being removed at wastewater treatment facilities at all, or are effectively being transferred across the ecosystem.

Also Read: For the First Time, Microplastics Contamination Has Been Detected Inside the Lungs

Microplastics used in mulching

As shown in a new study, plastic sheets used for mulching, a process of covering the soil to conserve warmth and moisture to allow increased crop production, are causing microplastic contamination in agricultural soil, as per Outlookindia.

Under the research "Plastic Mulching: Microplastics in Agricultural Soils," NGO Toxics Link studied soil samples in agricultural belts in Karnataka and Maharashtra and discovered microscopic plastic particles at various levels, indicating soil contamination owing to the widespread usage of plastic mulch sheets.

A total of 30 specimens were taken from mulched and unmulched fields and disposal sites locations utilized by farmers in the various locations to dump old plastic sheets, other plastic trash, and waste material from varied depths.

Microplastics were found in all of the soil samples analyzed at the Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

These were substantially more abundant in mulched samples taken than in unmulched soil samples.

According to the analysis, this obviously refers to soil pollution caused by the use of plastic mulch sheets.

The greatest level of microplastic pollution was discovered in a dumpsite in Maharashtra, with 87.57 pieces per kilogram of soil.

This was nearly double the amount seen in mulched soil, demonstrating that plastic mulch sheets scattered around agricultural areas promote pollution, according to the researchers.

The maximum concentration of microplastics (40.46 pieces per kilogram of soil) was identified at a depth of 15 cm in Badgaon, Maharashtra, while the lowest concentration (8.545 pieces per kg of soil) was recorded at a depth of 30 cm in Khanapur, Karnataka.

At a depth of approximately 15cm, Aurnol in Maharashtra had the largest concentration of plastic particles (20.54 pieces per kilogram), whereas Hukkeri in Karnataka had the lowest concentration.

Related article: Microplastics: The 'Missing Plastics' of the Ocean Uncovered by Scientists