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MIcro- and NAno-Plastics in AGRIricultural Soils: sources, environmental fate and impacts on ecosystem services and overall sustainability

Project description

When plastic is present on the farms

For years, the use of plastics on the farms has helped farmers increase crop production, improve food quality and reduce the ecological footprint. However, the increasing use of plastic in agriculture has resulted in soil pollution, with plastic residues forming macroplastics, microplastics (MP) and nanoplastics (NP). The EU-funded MINAGRIS project will provide a deeper understanding and tools to assess the MP and NP impact on agricultural soil health. The project will estimate the use of various plastic polymers in agriculture systems. It will analyse their impact on physico-chemical soil properties, soil biodiversity, plant productivity, Ecosystem Services and their potential transfer to other parts of the environment and plants, and it will quantify the consequences of unsustainable soil management.

Objective

Plastic use in agriculture has tremendously increased in the past decades resulting in soil pollution with plastic residues forming besides macroplastics micro (MP) and nanoplastics (NP).

MINAGRIS aims to contribute to healthy soils in Europe by providing a deeper understanding and tools to assess the impact of MP and NP in agricultural soil health.

To create an overview on the actual situation across Europe, MINAGRIS will assess the use of different plastic polymers in agricultural systems in 11 case study across Europe and identify the resulting types and concentrations of MPs and NPs. Concentrations of other stressors in soils such as pesticides and veterinary drugs will be additionally assessed.

MINAGRIS will provide validated analytical tools that allow the quantification and identification of MPs and NPs in soils.

Based on the results of the case study sites, controlled experiments will be conducted to analyse the impact of MPs and NPs on physico-chemical soil properties, soil biodiversity, plant productivity, and Ecosystem Services, as well as their potential transfer to other parts of the environment and plants. Furthermore, synergistic effects with other stressors are assessed.

Quantification of the impacts of MNP on soil biodiversity and agricultural productivity, their transport and degradation in the environment, their impacts on socio-economic components, and synergies between all of them will make it possible to identify, in a multifactorial vision, the benefits and risks associated with the use of plastics in agriculture.

Based on the results, MINAGRIS will quantify the economic, environmental, and social consequences of unsustainable soil management at the field and farm level in different biogeographical regions and, through a Multi-Actor Approach (MAA), develop a practical toolbox for and with farmers for the rapid assessment of soil exposure, at the same time raising relevant stakeholders’ and end-users’ awareness of the issue.

Call for proposal

H2020-SFS-2018-2020

See other projects for this call

Sub call

H2020-SFS-2020-2

Coordinator

WAGENINGEN UNIVERSITY
Net EU contribution
€ 741 375,00
Address
Droevendaalsesteeg 4
6708 PB Wageningen
Netherlands

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Region
Oost-Nederland Gelderland Veluwe
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
Links
Total cost
€ 741 375,00

Participants (20)