Periodic Reporting for period 2 - SOPLAS (Macro and Microplastic in Agricultural Soil Systems)
Periodo di rendicontazione: 2023-01-01 al 2024-12-31
Macro- and microplastic in agricultural soil systems (SOPLAS)
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 addresses 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 does (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 brings 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.
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 addresses 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 does (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 brings 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.
Overview of SOPLAS results:
We are happy to report that all deliverables and milestones were achieved and reported to the EC. SOPLAS looks back on four years of project lifetime yielding a great collaboration network within the SOPLAS consortium. Furthermore, the network tied close collaborations between academic and industry partners. A cornerstone to achieve this interdisciplinary and academic-industry exchange is the secondment program with 40 individual exchanges. We are proud that all 14 ESRs of SOPLAS finished the project lifetime and enhanced their skillset during the SOPLAS training program with bi-yearly in-person meetings. Finishing PhD is already achieved by three "ESRs" (ESR03, 12, 13), while all ESRs are on an excellent track to finalise PhD. Thereby, we are excited to see that SOPLAS has achieved its primary goal to form a new generation of highly qualified experts in the field of macro and microplastic in soil system sciences.
SOPLAS achieved exploitable results in manifold ways. A wealth of gold open-access publications was yielded (n=16) and stored in a repository of Augsburg University (https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/solrsearch/index/search/searchtype/collection/id/18249/start/0/rows/20/sortfield/year/sortorder/desc(si apre in una nuova finestra)) and highlighted on the project website (https://www.soplas.org(si apre in una nuova finestra)) while several publications are currently in review (n=11) or under preparation (n=). SOPLAS engaged with stakeholders and the public through activities such as brochures for farmers, policy briefs, public exhibitions, media engagement, and educational materials. Radio and television interviews highlighted the relevance of the topic, to reach out to the general public. In this context, it needs to be underlined that a collaboration experiment was aired on the national television news in Czech Republic (https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1097181328-udalosti/222411000101122/cast/947919/(si apre in una nuova finestra)).
We are happy to report that all deliverables and milestones were achieved and reported to the EC. SOPLAS looks back on four years of project lifetime yielding a great collaboration network within the SOPLAS consortium. Furthermore, the network tied close collaborations between academic and industry partners. A cornerstone to achieve this interdisciplinary and academic-industry exchange is the secondment program with 40 individual exchanges. We are proud that all 14 ESRs of SOPLAS finished the project lifetime and enhanced their skillset during the SOPLAS training program with bi-yearly in-person meetings. Finishing PhD is already achieved by three "ESRs" (ESR03, 12, 13), while all ESRs are on an excellent track to finalise PhD. Thereby, we are excited to see that SOPLAS has achieved its primary goal to form a new generation of highly qualified experts in the field of macro and microplastic in soil system sciences.
SOPLAS achieved exploitable results in manifold ways. A wealth of gold open-access publications was yielded (n=16) and stored in a repository of Augsburg University (https://opus.bibliothek.uni-augsburg.de/opus4/solrsearch/index/search/searchtype/collection/id/18249/start/0/rows/20/sortfield/year/sortorder/desc(si apre in una nuova finestra)) and highlighted on the project website (https://www.soplas.org(si apre in una nuova finestra)) while several publications are currently in review (n=11) or under preparation (n=). SOPLAS engaged with stakeholders and the public through activities such as brochures for farmers, policy briefs, public exhibitions, media engagement, and educational materials. Radio and television interviews highlighted the relevance of the topic, to reach out to the general public. In this context, it needs to be underlined that a collaboration experiment was aired on the national television news in Czech Republic (https://www.ceskatelevize.cz/porady/1097181328-udalosti/222411000101122/cast/947919/(si apre in una nuova finestra)).
SOPLAS successfully adapted and advanced next-generation analytical methodologies to detect and quantify the input and stocks of macro and microplastics within agricultural soils. The project teamed up expertise to meet the challenges of soil plastic analytics from diverse disciplines, including remote sensing and advanced analytical techniques. These methodologies were standardised and operationalised through close cooperation between industry and academic partners.
The project achieved a comprehensive understanding of the degradation pathways and mechanisms for different plastics in various soils under varying environmental conditions. The importance of different abiotic and biotic transformation processes, such as mechanical disintegration due to tillage, UV-light induced photochemical transformation, and microbial biodegradation, was examined at different test sites. Detailed laboratory studies on microbial degradation of biodegradable plastics, which may replace current plastic materials used for mulching, were conducted.
SOPLAS analysed the impact of microplastic on soil microbiomes and meso- to macro-fauna, providing new insights into soil plastic ecotoxicology. These findings are essential for informing political and regulatory decisions regarding the future use of plastics in agriculture.
Furthermore, the project identified pathways for microplastic export from agricultural soils to freshwater ecosystems, including groundwater and surface waters, under different land management practices, soil types, and environmental conditions. This research closed a significant gap in understanding microplastic transport into freshwaters, which is crucial for assessing the potential contamination of drinking water sources and the broader impacts of microplastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems.
A broader analysis of intended and unintended plastic use associated with agricultural soil management practices was conducted, along with an analysis of farmers’ and consumers’ willingness to reduce plastic input into agricultural soils using choice experiment surveys.
SOPLAS significantly advanced research in the field of plastics in agricultural soils and established a long-lasting European network of excellence on this research topic. This network promoted scientific exchange between ten European research institutions and a research-oriented industry partner, investigating soil pollution in an ecologically relevant manner with complementary research foci and methods. The network built on fruitful cooperation between academia and industry initiated new cooperations and promoted collaboration among industry partners.
The project achieved a comprehensive understanding of the degradation pathways and mechanisms for different plastics in various soils under varying environmental conditions. The importance of different abiotic and biotic transformation processes, such as mechanical disintegration due to tillage, UV-light induced photochemical transformation, and microbial biodegradation, was examined at different test sites. Detailed laboratory studies on microbial degradation of biodegradable plastics, which may replace current plastic materials used for mulching, were conducted.
SOPLAS analysed the impact of microplastic on soil microbiomes and meso- to macro-fauna, providing new insights into soil plastic ecotoxicology. These findings are essential for informing political and regulatory decisions regarding the future use of plastics in agriculture.
Furthermore, the project identified pathways for microplastic export from agricultural soils to freshwater ecosystems, including groundwater and surface waters, under different land management practices, soil types, and environmental conditions. This research closed a significant gap in understanding microplastic transport into freshwaters, which is crucial for assessing the potential contamination of drinking water sources and the broader impacts of microplastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems.
A broader analysis of intended and unintended plastic use associated with agricultural soil management practices was conducted, along with an analysis of farmers’ and consumers’ willingness to reduce plastic input into agricultural soils using choice experiment surveys.
SOPLAS significantly advanced research in the field of plastics in agricultural soils and established a long-lasting European network of excellence on this research topic. This network promoted scientific exchange between ten European research institutions and a research-oriented industry partner, investigating soil pollution in an ecologically relevant manner with complementary research foci and methods. The network built on fruitful cooperation between academia and industry initiated new cooperations and promoted collaboration among industry partners.