An Overlooked Entry Pathway of Microplastics into Agricultural Soils from Application of Sludge-based Fertilizers

Environmental Science & Technology
Lishan ZhangPin Gao

Abstract

Widespread application of sewage sludge produced from wastewater treatment plants for agricultural use has been regarded as a primary source of microplastics (MPs) into soils. However, little is known regarding MPs in sludge-based fertilizers and their relevant fate in soils as being applied in agriculture. We comprehensively investigated the abundance, polymer size, type and morphology of MPs in dewatered sludge, sewage sludge composts, sludge-based fertilizer-amended soils and earthworms by stereoscopy and micro-Fourier-transform infrared (µ-FTIR) spectrometry methods. Results clearly showed that the quantity of MPs in soils exhibited a close correlation with application rate of sludge-based fertilizers. The total abundances of MPs were 545.9 and 87.6 items/kg in soils after annual amendment with 30 (field A) and 15 t/ha (field B) of sludge composts, which is significantly higher than that without compost application (field C, 5.0 items/kg). Correspondingly, MPs were found in earthworms with low quantities of 1.8 and 0.4 items/individual in the field A and field B, respectively, while no MP was detected in field C. We speculate that sludge composts may act as a vehicle of MPs into soils, and then enter soil biota and in turn ...Continue Reading

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Oct 24, 2020·Environmental Science and Pollution Research International·Rui-Ting WuXin-Di Liao
Sep 7, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Fabio CorradiniViolette Geissen
Oct 9, 2020·The Science of the Total Environment·Lishan ZhangPin Gao
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Mar 27, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Ling YangChenxi Wu
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Aug 11, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Haobo YaXin Wang
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Aug 21, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Jianhua GeXuetao Guo
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Sep 2, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Xiaolian WuHailong Wang
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Nov 8, 2021·The Science of the Total Environment·Danlian HuangRuihao Xiao

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