Descrizione del progetto
Studiare l’uso della plastica e l’inquinamento nei sistemi di terreni agricoli
La plastica è un materiale fondamentale nella nostra economia e nella vita quotidiana. Sfortunatamente, è associata a livelli elevati di rifiuti e dispersione nell’ambiente. Ad esempio, nei terreni agricoli si possono trovare detriti plastici e, in particolare, microplastiche (particelle con dimensioni inferiori a 5 mm), dalle borse per gli insilati e dalle pellicole per il rivestimento delle serre al fango di depurazione e al compost. Il progetto SOPLAS, finanziato dall’UE, riunirà un team multidisciplinare per studiare il nesso tra plastica, agricoltura e terreno, e formerà inoltre una nuova generazione di esperti di spicco. Il progetto si propone di identificare il ciclo della plastica all’interno dei sistemi di terreni agricoli e sostenere lo sviluppo di politiche ambientali inerenti alla mitigazione dell’impatto delle plastiche. Le scoperte faranno progredire le nostre conoscenze sull’uso sostenibile delle plastiche nell’agricoltura europea.
Obiettivo
Plastics have become a key component of modern agriculture, both directly, through their use in production systems, such as greenhouse cover films and silage bags, and indirectly, such as through the application of sewage sludge or compost. However, we know almost nothing about the fate of this plastic and its impact on soil functions. The SOPLAS ETN will address this critical knowledge gap, while delivering significant advances in understanding the plastic cycle within soil and supporting the development of environmental policies, agricultural practices and industrial opportunities related to mitigating the impact of plastics on the environment. More specifically, SOPLAS will: (i) adapt and optimise existing tools to detect and quantify macro- and microplastic input into agricultural soils; (ii) improve understanding of the degradation mechanisms of conventional and biodegradable plastic, as basis of optimizing used plastic materials and identifying remediation pathways; (iii) determine the impact of microplastic on soil functions and soil health; (iv) identify pathways for microplastic export from agricultural soils to freshwater ecosystems; and (v) analysis farmers’ and consumers’ willingness to reduce the input of plastic material into agricultural soils. To address these project aims and train a new generation of leading experts understanding the nexus of plastic-agriculture-soil, SOPLAS will bring together a truly multidisciplinary team of academic and industry experts, comprising economists, agronomists, hydrologists, soil scientists, microbiologists and chemists, using the most advanced state-of-the-art approaches in their respective fields. The training network will facilitate a dialogue between researchers, industry and practitioners with as ultimate goal to advance the sustainable use of plastics in European agriculture.
Campo scientifico
- natural sciencesbiological sciencesecologyecosystemsfreshwater ecosystems
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencessoil sciencesedaphology
- engineering and technologyenvironmental biotechnologybioremediationcompost
- natural sciencesearth and related environmental sciencesenvironmental sciencespollution
- agricultural sciencesagriculture, forestry, and fisheriesagricultureindustrial cropsfodder
Parole chiave
Programma(i)
Argomento(i)
Meccanismo di finanziamento
MSCA-ITN - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Networks (ITN)Coordinatore
86159 Augsburg
Germania