Do aging microplastics increase environmental risks from organic contaminants? Study suggests less than expected
Researchers find that soil aging of polyethylene microplastics has only a limited effect on their interactions with organic contaminants. Scientists have long worried that aging microplastics in soil could become increasingly effective at interacting with organic contaminants.
A recent study published in Soil & Environmental Health reveals that soil aging of polyethylene microplastics has a limited impact on their interactions with organic contaminants. Researchers found that even after one and a half years buried in agricultural soil, common polyethylene microplastics used in agricultural films did not become significantly more effective at interacting with various organic contaminants.
The study, led by a team from the Hebrew University, tested 48 common contaminants found in reclaimed wastewater, including pesticides and pharmaceuticals. The results showed that for about 90% of the chemicals, aging made little to no difference in their interactions with the plastics. The researchers concluded that soil minerals and organic matter, not the microplastics themselves, primarily determine the fate of organic contaminants in agricultural soils.
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