Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device
Microplastics (MPs) present in farmland soils, where urban compost has been distributed since 2005, were extracted using a device based on elutriation, a method developed for marine sediments but not yet used in soil. Since (i) fine earth (diameter < 2 mm) is the standard fraction used for soil a...
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MDPI AG
2025-07-01
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| Series: | Agronomy |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1736 |
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| author | Luigi Paolo D’Acqui Sara Di Lonardo Martina Grattacaso Alessandra Bonetti Ottorino-Luca Pantani |
| author_facet | Luigi Paolo D’Acqui Sara Di Lonardo Martina Grattacaso Alessandra Bonetti Ottorino-Luca Pantani |
| author_sort | Luigi Paolo D’Acqui |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Microplastics (MPs) present in farmland soils, where urban compost has been distributed since 2005, were extracted using a device based on elutriation, a method developed for marine sediments but not yet used in soil. Since (i) fine earth (diameter < 2 mm) is the standard fraction used for soil analysis and (ii) the size of MPs contained in urban compost may exceed that value, MP were recovered from both the entire soil and fine earth. The recovered MPs pieces were weighed, counted, and characterized using FTIR photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). Both the mass and number of recovered MPs pieces (>34 µm) were comparable to those reported in the literature for soils. Polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene are the primary polymers. Nevertheless, some issues were highlighted: (i) the importance of sampling the soil by volume, and (ii) the need of analyzing the entire soil sample rather than just the fraction below 2 mm, commonly used in soil analysis; (iii) the necessity of breaking up (i.e., by ultrasonication and/or dispersion) soil aggregates that may withstand the elutriation process. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-d6b68f1685cf4264988ddf4d4f25acb4 |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2073-4395 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-07-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Agronomy |
| spelling | doaj-art-d6b68f1685cf4264988ddf4d4f25acb42025-08-20T02:48:17ZengMDPI AGAgronomy2073-43952025-07-01157173610.3390/agronomy15071736Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation DeviceLuigi Paolo D’Acqui0Sara Di Lonardo1Martina Grattacaso2Alessandra Bonetti3Ottorino-Luca Pantani4Research Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, ItalyResearch Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, ItalyResearch Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, ItalyResearch Institute on Terrestrial Ecosystems (IRET), National Research Council (CNR), Via Madonna del Piano 10, 50019 Sesto Fiorentino, ItalyDipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Agrarie, Alimentari, Ambientali e Forestali, Piazzale delle Cascine 18, 50144 Firenze, ItalyMicroplastics (MPs) present in farmland soils, where urban compost has been distributed since 2005, were extracted using a device based on elutriation, a method developed for marine sediments but not yet used in soil. Since (i) fine earth (diameter < 2 mm) is the standard fraction used for soil analysis and (ii) the size of MPs contained in urban compost may exceed that value, MP were recovered from both the entire soil and fine earth. The recovered MPs pieces were weighed, counted, and characterized using FTIR photoacoustic spectroscopy (FTIR-PAS). Both the mass and number of recovered MPs pieces (>34 µm) were comparable to those reported in the literature for soils. Polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene are the primary polymers. Nevertheless, some issues were highlighted: (i) the importance of sampling the soil by volume, and (ii) the need of analyzing the entire soil sample rather than just the fraction below 2 mm, commonly used in soil analysis; (iii) the necessity of breaking up (i.e., by ultrasonication and/or dispersion) soil aggregates that may withstand the elutriation process.https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1736agricultureurban compostFTIR-PASelutriationpollution |
| spellingShingle | Luigi Paolo D’Acqui Sara Di Lonardo Martina Grattacaso Alessandra Bonetti Ottorino-Luca Pantani Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device Agronomy agriculture urban compost FTIR-PAS elutriation pollution |
| title | Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device |
| title_full | Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device |
| title_fullStr | Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device |
| title_full_unstemmed | Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device |
| title_short | Quantification of Microplastics in Urban Compost-Amended Farmland Soil Using an Elutriation Device |
| title_sort | quantification of microplastics in urban compost amended farmland soil using an elutriation device |
| topic | agriculture urban compost FTIR-PAS elutriation pollution |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4395/15/7/1736 |
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