Microplastic Transport from Biosolids Applications (Completed)
Significance:
Between 4.8 to 12.7 million tons (Mt) of plastic waste entering oceans and other aquatic systems through terrestrial sites.
By 2025 potentially 250 Mt plastic tons of waste will be in marine ecosystems
Objective:
Determine average concentration of microplastics in runoff via biosolid application in agricultural setting
Determine average concentration per type of microplastics
Hypothesis:
Applications with biosolids would have higher concentrations of microplastics.
Conclusions:
Biosolids land applications increase microplastic concentration in soil and runoff.
Microplastics are entering agricultural soils through alternative sources.
Funded: NSF Environmental Engineering
Publication:
Beni, N.N., Karimifard, S. Gilley, Messer, T.L., Schmidt, A., and Bartelt-Hunt, S. 2023. Higher Concentrations of Microplastics in Runoff from Biosolid-Amended Croplands than Manure-amended Croplands. Communications Earth & Environment, 42(4). doi: 10.1038/s43247-023-00691-y
Graduate Students: Nasrin Naderi Beni