SoPla_Fate

Fate and impact of past, present and future consumer plastic on soil Soil is a finite resource that is key to food security and our sustainable future. Unfortunately, soils are a sink for plastic. The impact of microplastics in soils is a growing concern, but little is known about the impact of plastic on soil health. The EU-funded SoPla_Fate project will take a multidisciplinary approach to fill this knowledge gap. It will study the extent of plastic contamination in agricultural soils and the fate of plastic and its impact on soil processes. The project will start by quantifying the polymer distribution and concentration in agricultural soils, and the next step will be to fingerprint, screen and identify the plastic additives and their leaching and partitioning behaviour.