Plastic particles smaller than 5mm (known as microplastics) are well-documented pollutants in ocean and freshwater habitats.
The discovery of microplastics in the most remote rivers of the Himalayas and the deepest trenches of the Pacific Ocean has sparked widespread concern. But how much microplastic lies closer to home — buried in the soil where food is grown?
Our latest study estimated that between 31,000 and 42,000 tonnes of microplastics (or 86 trillion — 710 trillion microplastic particles) are spread on European farmland soils each year, mirroring the concentration of microplastics in ocean surface waters.
The cause is microplastic-laden fertilizers derived from sewage sludge diverted from wastewater treatment plants.
These are commonly spread on farmland as a renewable source of fertilizer throughout European countries, in part due to EU directives that aim to promote a circular waste economy.
https://childrenshealthdefense.org/defender/microplastic-pollution-farmland-soil/