Investigating the dispersal of macro- and microplastics on agricultural fields 30 years after sewage sludge application.

ABSTRACT: Plastic contamination of terrestrial ecosystems and arable soils pose potentially negative impacts on several soil functions. Whereas substantial plastic contamination is now traceable in agro-landscapes, often internal-caused by the application of fertilizers such as sewage sludge, questions remain unanswered concerning what happens to the plastic after incorporation. Based on a combined surface and depth sampling approach, including density separation, fluorescence staining and ATR-FTIR or µFTIR analyses, we quantified macro- and microplastic abundance on two agricultural fields-34 years after the last sewage sludge application. By sub-dividing the study area around sludge application sites, we were able to determine spatial distribution and spreading of plastics. Past sewage sludge appl

SUBMITTER: Weber CJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9013367 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature