Periodic Reporting for period 1 - MINAGRIS (MIcro- and NAno-Plastics in AGRIricultural Soils: sources, environmental fate and impacts on ecosystem services and overall sustainability)
Berichtszeitraum: 2021-09-01 bis 2023-02-28
The MINAGRIS project, launched on September 2021, 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.
Plastic use provides many benefits to agriculture but leads to plastic contamination in the fields. Additionally, plastic contamination comes from hidden sources such as the use of previously contaminated organic fertilizers. Micro- and nano-plastics (MNP) that are derived from different plastics are small enough to be ingested by a wide range of organisms, impacting on their biology, and being transferred to other soil organisms and enter the plant systems.
This emerging threat has prompted first studies that confirmed the high potential of MP to accumulate in soils and cause changes in physico-chemical soil properties, thereby also altering soil functions such as soil water dynamics and ultimately affecting related ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, plant growth and soil biodiversity, which have unknown/unmeasured impacts on the economy of the farm. These effects could be magnified when MP occur in combination with other soil pollutants, such as pesticides and veterinary drugs, or plastic additives (e.g. dyes).
MINAGRIS aims to develop a better understanding of any potentially harmful impacts of MNP and other stressors to soil biodiversity, soil functions, related ecosystem services and agricultural productivity at the field level and related socio-economic consequences at farm level. MINAGRIS will assess the use of different plastic polymers in agricultural systems in 11 case study sites across Europe and identify the resulting types and concentrations of MPs and NPs and other stressors.
MINAGRIS is based on a multi-actor approach to engage stakeholders and identify needs, improving farmer and citizen awareness, joint development of novel strategies for reducing plastic contamination.
Plastic use provides many benefits to agriculture but leads to plastic contamination in the fields. Additionally, plastic contamination comes from hidden sources such as the use of previously contaminated organic fertilizers. Micro- and nano-plastics (MNP) that are derived from different plastics are small enough to be ingested by a wide range of organisms, impacting on their biology, and being transferred to other soil organisms and enter the plant systems.
This emerging threat has prompted first studies that confirmed the high potential of MP to accumulate in soils and cause changes in physico-chemical soil properties, thereby also altering soil functions such as soil water dynamics and ultimately affecting related ecosystem services like nutrient cycling, plant growth and soil biodiversity, which have unknown/unmeasured impacts on the economy of the farm. These effects could be magnified when MP occur in combination with other soil pollutants, such as pesticides and veterinary drugs, or plastic additives (e.g. dyes).
MINAGRIS aims to develop a better understanding of any potentially harmful impacts of MNP and other stressors to soil biodiversity, soil functions, related ecosystem services and agricultural productivity at the field level and related socio-economic consequences at farm level. MINAGRIS will assess the use of different plastic polymers in agricultural systems in 11 case study sites across Europe and identify the resulting types and concentrations of MPs and NPs and other stressors.
MINAGRIS is based on a multi-actor approach to engage stakeholders and identify needs, improving farmer and citizen awareness, joint development of novel strategies for reducing plastic contamination.
Since September 2021, MINAGRIS partners have achieved four main results:
● 11 Case Study Site: a network of Soil Living-Labs across Europe
MINAGRIS has setup Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs) in the 11 case study sites (CSS) of the project, located in 11 EU countries. The CSS MAPs will help identify and involve relevant stakeholders from the different levels of networks (international and European) along with local and national stakeholders ranging from land users and farmer associations to other interest groups, regional authorities and policymakers.
● Typology of farms and their plastic practices in the CSS
An inventory of plastics sale and use at national and EU level has been done by WR. It summarizes public information on the use of plastics in agriculture in Europe, including sources for possible unintentional input of plastics through agricultural practices. The focus was to identify potential sources of plastic contamination in soil and understand the potential contribution of agricultural plastics to the accumulation of Micro and NanoPlastics (MNP) in soil. The mechanisms for formation and accumulation of MNP in soil are largely unknown and the contribution of specific agricultural plastics to soil contamination is still lacking.
Market data analysed by WR shows that the most commercialized agricultural plastic is film made of polyethylene (PE) and therefore the most common polymer is PE. It is used for stretching and silage films in livestock production and greenhouse, mulching and small tunnels films for crop production. From the available data, it was found that improperly removed mulch films represent the highest risk of accumulation of debris in soil. Based on this finding, a choice of commercially available mulch film products was made to use as the reference materials for the studies in MINAGRIS.
● Monitoring Plan and Data Management Plan
MINAGRIS partners have setup a robust Monitoring Plan and Data Management Plan to collect, share and process all collected data in a harmonized manner in the 11 CSS and 8 labs along the course of the project.
A field assessment has been performed to provide an overview of the plastic contamination in agricultural soil across Europe. Plastic and soil samples from the selected farms have been collected in the 11 CSS and sent to the partners’ laboratories in charge of analysing the samples and quantifying the MNP. Macro-Plastic samples have been collected and will serve for further experiments in controlled environments to study their associated plastisphere microbiome.
● An innovative methodology to assess the presence of MNPs in soil
A novel methodology for the analysis of NPs in soil has been developed and is being tested. Indeed, existing methods for NPs cannot be used because of they do not allow for the analysis of sub micrometer particles. MINAGRIS tests four different kinds of vibrational spectroscopy methods which allows to identify the plastic polymer composition (FTIR with a single MCT detector, FTIR with a FPA detector with 128*128 single detectors, LDIR and Raman spectroscopy). For MINAGRIS, partners have to find a time effective method which allows to produce high quality results which are comparable between the different CSS: as the standardized method for sampling and measuring macro and microplastics along different environments and soil types.
● 11 Case Study Site: a network of Soil Living-Labs across Europe
MINAGRIS has setup Multi-Actor Platforms (MAPs) in the 11 case study sites (CSS) of the project, located in 11 EU countries. The CSS MAPs will help identify and involve relevant stakeholders from the different levels of networks (international and European) along with local and national stakeholders ranging from land users and farmer associations to other interest groups, regional authorities and policymakers.
● Typology of farms and their plastic practices in the CSS
An inventory of plastics sale and use at national and EU level has been done by WR. It summarizes public information on the use of plastics in agriculture in Europe, including sources for possible unintentional input of plastics through agricultural practices. The focus was to identify potential sources of plastic contamination in soil and understand the potential contribution of agricultural plastics to the accumulation of Micro and NanoPlastics (MNP) in soil. The mechanisms for formation and accumulation of MNP in soil are largely unknown and the contribution of specific agricultural plastics to soil contamination is still lacking.
Market data analysed by WR shows that the most commercialized agricultural plastic is film made of polyethylene (PE) and therefore the most common polymer is PE. It is used for stretching and silage films in livestock production and greenhouse, mulching and small tunnels films for crop production. From the available data, it was found that improperly removed mulch films represent the highest risk of accumulation of debris in soil. Based on this finding, a choice of commercially available mulch film products was made to use as the reference materials for the studies in MINAGRIS.
● Monitoring Plan and Data Management Plan
MINAGRIS partners have setup a robust Monitoring Plan and Data Management Plan to collect, share and process all collected data in a harmonized manner in the 11 CSS and 8 labs along the course of the project.
A field assessment has been performed to provide an overview of the plastic contamination in agricultural soil across Europe. Plastic and soil samples from the selected farms have been collected in the 11 CSS and sent to the partners’ laboratories in charge of analysing the samples and quantifying the MNP. Macro-Plastic samples have been collected and will serve for further experiments in controlled environments to study their associated plastisphere microbiome.
● An innovative methodology to assess the presence of MNPs in soil
A novel methodology for the analysis of NPs in soil has been developed and is being tested. Indeed, existing methods for NPs cannot be used because of they do not allow for the analysis of sub micrometer particles. MINAGRIS tests four different kinds of vibrational spectroscopy methods which allows to identify the plastic polymer composition (FTIR with a single MCT detector, FTIR with a FPA detector with 128*128 single detectors, LDIR and Raman spectroscopy). For MINAGRIS, partners have to find a time effective method which allows to produce high quality results which are comparable between the different CSS: as the standardized method for sampling and measuring macro and microplastics along different environments and soil types.
• Citizen science app. The Ready-to-use smartphone app is a tool for participative detecting and monitoring visually and recognisable plastic residues in soil, the societal impact of this app is high, different stakeholders as farmers, students, industry professionals are engaged and monitoring plastic residues in the soils of the 11 CSS. Actual numbers indicate that the app has been used by 4411 persons.
• Preliminary results on microplastics transport in soil columns have indicated that irrigation intensity enhances the 3 studied types of microplastics (LDPE, PBAT and starch-based plastic) vertical transport
• Social impact for farmers practices transformation. Workshops with farmers are taking place during the second half of 2023, in those workshops engagement and awareness are expected to increase, once the farmers know the concentration on microplastics in their sampled fields.
• Socio-economic impact for the development of new solutions/adaptation of existing practices. Results from the questionnaires performed at the 11 CSS will give insight into the actual practices on plastic use and their respective economical effect. Therefore, in the workshop's adaptation and implementation strategies will be discussed
• Raised awareness on soil health and plastic pollution. Several experiments are carried out with soil invertebrates (micro, meso and macroinvertebrates), the obtained results will be presented in conferences, scientific papers and widespread dissemination media.
• More efficient methods to analyse NPs. The standardized method on microplastic measurement is being developed and validated; The NPs analysis method is still in progress
• Identified strains of the plastisphere -> pave the way towards future biotech development for plastic recycling. Isolation of microorganisms capable of degrading plastics is taking place, once the meta-analysis is developed and the selection of microorganisms is done, plastic recycling will be more efficient.
• Preliminary results on microplastics transport in soil columns have indicated that irrigation intensity enhances the 3 studied types of microplastics (LDPE, PBAT and starch-based plastic) vertical transport
• Social impact for farmers practices transformation. Workshops with farmers are taking place during the second half of 2023, in those workshops engagement and awareness are expected to increase, once the farmers know the concentration on microplastics in their sampled fields.
• Socio-economic impact for the development of new solutions/adaptation of existing practices. Results from the questionnaires performed at the 11 CSS will give insight into the actual practices on plastic use and their respective economical effect. Therefore, in the workshop's adaptation and implementation strategies will be discussed
• Raised awareness on soil health and plastic pollution. Several experiments are carried out with soil invertebrates (micro, meso and macroinvertebrates), the obtained results will be presented in conferences, scientific papers and widespread dissemination media.
• More efficient methods to analyse NPs. The standardized method on microplastic measurement is being developed and validated; The NPs analysis method is still in progress
• Identified strains of the plastisphere -> pave the way towards future biotech development for plastic recycling. Isolation of microorganisms capable of degrading plastics is taking place, once the meta-analysis is developed and the selection of microorganisms is done, plastic recycling will be more efficient.