Journal article

An overview of microplastic and nanoplastic pollution in agroecosystems

EL Ng, E Huerta Lwanga, SM Eldridge, P Johnston, HW Hu, V Geissen, D Chen

Science of the Total Environment | ELSEVIER | Published : 2018

Abstract

Microplastics and nanoplastics are emerging pollutants of global importance. They are small enough to be ingested by a wide range of organisms and at nano-scale, they may cross some biological barriers. However, our understanding of their ecological impact on the terrestrial environment is limited. Plastic particle loading in agroecosystems could be high due to inputs of some recycled organic waste and plastic film mulching, so it is vital that we develop a greater understanding of any potentially harmful or adverse impacts of these pollutants to agroecosystems. In this article, we discuss the sources of plastic particles in agroecosystems, the mechanisms, constraints and dynamic behaviour o..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Grants

Awarded by BASF


Funding Acknowledgements

This work was supported by funding from the Australia-China Joint Research Centre - Healthy Soils for Sustainable Food Production and Environmental Quality (ACSRF48165) and its industry partners including BASF, Incitec Pivot and Xinyangfeng. Special thanks to Pablo Galaviz for help with the diagrams; David Ugalde and seven other anonymous reviewers for their detailed comments that has immensely benefitted the ideas expressed in this manuscript.