Open to: All BCIA Registrants
Host: Melina Sorensen PAg
Join the BCIA’s reading club session for an opportunity to discuss this paper "Prediction of future microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils." by T. Meizoso-Regueira, J..Fuentes, S. J. Cusworth, and M. C. Rillig, Environmental Pollution, Volume 35 (2024) 124587
Prediction of future microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils - ScienceDirect
Plastics are synthetic or semi-synthetic materials made of a wide range of polymers that have broad impacts on human activities. Its use has revolutionized several sectors, such as industry, packaging and agriculture. Plastic waste persists in natural ecosystems by breaking down through several pathways, including chemical, physical, and biological processes; however, plastics are highly resistant materials, taking decades to hundreds of years to be degraded, leading to the accumulation of plastic residues in the environment. This study shows the general exponential rise in microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils, with fertilizer application speeding up this increase, and future predictions of microplastic concentrations. Results indicated a significant annual increase in microplastic concentrations across all treatments, with fertilized soils showing a notably higher accumulation rate. This highlights the urgent need for strategies to mitigate microplastic pollution in agricultural fields. The results also help to choose predicted concentrations in global change experiments, as well as to motivate further research to explore the mechanisms of microplastic accumulation and the integration of these insights into broader agricultural and ecological models to guide sustainable practices and environmental conservation.
|
|
Prediction of future microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils In the past two decades, half of all plastics ever manufactured were produced - 79% of which have ended up in landfill- and this production is predicted to double by 2050 Geyer et al. (2017); OECD, 2022 forecasts a 2–3 factor increase in production by 2060 if no mitigation efforts are taken. By then, it is predicted that 12,000 million metric tons of plastic pollution will reside in ... |
There will be a brief introduction and prompts for discussion, but the session will generally be an open space for discussion, collaboration, and networking about a common interest. The discussion will be led by Melina Sorensen, P. Ag. from BCIA’s Victoria & Islands Branch.
To register for this event, please login or create an account.