A review has stressed that agricultural soils now hold around 23 times more microplastics than oceans.
A review from Murdoch University has stressed that agricultural soils now hold around 23 times more microplastics than oceans. Amongst the revelations in the comprehensive evaluation is that plastics in soil may be exposed to up to 10,000 chemical additives, most of which are unregulated in agriculture.
"These microplastics are turning food-producing land into a plastic sink," said PhD candidate Joseph Boctor, who led the study. Both microplastics and nanoplastics have now been found in lettuce, wheat and carrot crops. This happens through various means, from plastic mulching, fertilisers and even through being dropped by clouds. This is particularly concerning when combined with findings of these plastics in the human lungs, brain, heart, blood, and even placenta."Replacement chemicals like BPF and BPS show comparable or greater endocrine-disrupting activity."In addition to this, assessing additive toxicity is often overlooked, Mr Boctor said, due to the lack of transparency in the plastic industry and large number of additives produced."This review tries to bring this creeping danger under the radar and shine a flashlight on regulators." Alongside endocrine disruptors, the review pinpointed other additives in soil such as Phthalates , and PBDEs . These additives have been linked with neurodegenerative disease, increased risks of stroke and heart attack and early death. "These are not distant possibilities -- they are unfolding within biological systems -- silently and systematically," Mr Boctor said. To address this crisis, Mr Boctor is working alongside his colleagues at the Bioplastics Innovation Hub to create a type of plastic that is not only safe, but also decomposes in soil, land and water, leaving behind no legacy. One innovation currently under development is the Smart Sprays Project -- which will demonstrate and test a non-toxic, bioplastic-based spray for soil which forms a water barrier to harvest rainfall and reduce evaporation that can be easily applied with existing farm equipment. The hope is that through the Hub's work, they will introduce a green plastic to the market that will minimise and eventually negate the need for non-sustainable plastic production worldwide. "This review highlights the urgent need for coordinated scientific and regulatory efforts," Joseph said. "Regulators, scientists and industry must collaborate to close the loopholes before plastic pollution further entrenches itself in the global food chain." Joseph Boctor, Frances C. Hoyle, Mohamed A. Farag, Matta Ebaid, Thomas Walsh, Andrew S. Whiteley, Daniel V. Murphy.New research highlights the increasing threat of microplastics to global farming and food production. Scientists are researching the scale of plastic pollution in agricultural soils and its impact ... Based on a total of 8,218 pelagic microplastic samples from the world's oceans collected between 2000 and 2019, a team of scientists has developed a publicly available dataset for assessing the ... Plastic is a major threat to the environment. Of particular ecological risk is its manifestation as microplastics in the agricultural environment. Scientists addressed this issue in a recent study, ... Microplastics and their negative health impacts have been studied in oceans, rivers, and even soils, and scientists are beginning to grapple with the myriad human health impacts their presence might ...Mystery of 'Very Odd' Elasmosaur Finally Solved: Fiercely Predatory Marine Reptile Is New Species
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