Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Standard Standard

Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil. / Yang, Yang; Li, Zhen; Yan, Changrong et al.
In: Science of the Total Environment, Vol. 814, 25.03.2022.

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

HarvardHarvard

Yang, Y, Li, Z, Yan, C, Chadwick, D, Jones, DL, Liu, E, Liu, Q, Bai, R & He, W 2022, 'Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil', Science of the Total Environment, vol. 814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152572

APA

Yang, Y., Li, Z., Yan, C., Chadwick, D., Jones, D. L., Liu, E., Liu, Q., Bai, R., & He, W. (2022). Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil. Science of the Total Environment, 814. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152572

CBE

MLA

VancouverVancouver

Yang Y, Li Z, Yan C, Chadwick D, Jones DL, Liu E et al. Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil. Science of the Total Environment. 2022 Mar 25;814. Epub 2021 Dec 23. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152572

Author

Yang, Yang ; Li, Zhen ; Yan, Changrong et al. / Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil. In: Science of the Total Environment. 2022 ; Vol. 814.

RIS

TY - JOUR

T1 - Kinetics of microplastic generation from different types of mulch films in agricultural soil

AU - Yang, Yang

AU - Li, Zhen

AU - Yan, Changrong

AU - Chadwick, Dave

AU - Jones, Davey L.

AU - Liu, Enke

AU - Liu, Qin

AU - Bai, Runhao

AU - He, Wenqing

PY - 2022/3/25

Y1 - 2022/3/25

N2 - Upon environmental weathering, plastic materials form smaller sized microplastics, of which the contamination in agricultural fields is of significant importance and increasing social concern. Plastic mulch films are considered a major source of agricultural soil microplastic pollution. However, the mechanism and kinetics of microplastic formation from plastic mulch films were rarely understood. In this study, the rate of microplastic generation from typical mulch films, such as oxodegradable, biodegradable, and conventional non-degradable (polyethylene, PE) mulch films, were quantified in soil under simulated UV irradiation. Results showed that microplastic formation was more rapid from biodegradable mulch film, followed sequentially by oxodegradable mulch film, white PE mulch film, and black PE mulch film. The kinetics of microplastic generation strictly followed the Schwarzchild's law, with exponential growth at indexes between 1.6309 and 2.0502 in the microplastic generation model. At a cumulative UV irradiation of 2.1 MJ/m2, the average quantity of microplastics released from biodegradable, oxodegradable, and white and black non-degradable mulch films were 475, 266, 163, 147 particles/cm2, respectively; with particle sizes largely distributed within 0.02–0.10 mm range. Concurrent increase in crystallinity and surface erosion of the mulch films were observed upon UV irradiation, which further determined the accessibility and activity of the materials to photo-oxidation (reflected as HI indexes), therefore played a critical role on the quantity and size ranges of microplastic debris.

AB - Upon environmental weathering, plastic materials form smaller sized microplastics, of which the contamination in agricultural fields is of significant importance and increasing social concern. Plastic mulch films are considered a major source of agricultural soil microplastic pollution. However, the mechanism and kinetics of microplastic formation from plastic mulch films were rarely understood. In this study, the rate of microplastic generation from typical mulch films, such as oxodegradable, biodegradable, and conventional non-degradable (polyethylene, PE) mulch films, were quantified in soil under simulated UV irradiation. Results showed that microplastic formation was more rapid from biodegradable mulch film, followed sequentially by oxodegradable mulch film, white PE mulch film, and black PE mulch film. The kinetics of microplastic generation strictly followed the Schwarzchild's law, with exponential growth at indexes between 1.6309 and 2.0502 in the microplastic generation model. At a cumulative UV irradiation of 2.1 MJ/m2, the average quantity of microplastics released from biodegradable, oxodegradable, and white and black non-degradable mulch films were 475, 266, 163, 147 particles/cm2, respectively; with particle sizes largely distributed within 0.02–0.10 mm range. Concurrent increase in crystallinity and surface erosion of the mulch films were observed upon UV irradiation, which further determined the accessibility and activity of the materials to photo-oxidation (reflected as HI indexes), therefore played a critical role on the quantity and size ranges of microplastic debris.

KW - Mulch film

KW - Microplastic generation

KW - UV irradiation

KW - Emission kinetics

KW - Schwarzchild's principle

U2 - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152572

DO - 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.152572

M3 - Article

VL - 814

JO - Science of the Total Environment

JF - Science of the Total Environment

SN - 0048-9697

ER -