International Association of Students in Agricultural and Related SciencesNOVEMBER 2019How Microplastics Connected ToSustainable Agriculture?Microplastics as one of the most widespread pollutant in theenvironment also become a threat to soil health and fertility,eventually impacting plant growth, development and otheragricultural practices done with soils. While to date the focus arecurrently on microplastics in the ocean and their effects on marinelife, its impact in soils have largely been overlooked. Based onCorradini et al. research, microplastics in soil have been found insoil samples, ranging from 0.6-1.4 p/g soils. The samples are soilswith municipal waste sludge treatment, which usually used assupplementary soil additives other than usual fertilizers. From thisresearch, they conclude that one of the soil microplasticspollution’s primal driver is sludge application. A wide variety of soilmicroplastics pollution’s impacts are predicted, ranging from itspossibility to absorb heavier soil pollutant, or its possible negativeinteraction with soil organisms. Because of its chemical structureand traits, microplastics might absorb other pollutants such aspersistent organic pollutants or heavy metal and might causecombined effect towards soil and organism in and on it. There aresome evidences that microplastics have possibility to inhibit thegrowth and reproduction of soil biota, but there are also researchregarding the negligible effect of low dose microplastics pollutionin soil. The uncertainty of microplastics effect is caused by the lackof better understanding of its interaction with soil biota. But,because of the previous combined ability of microplastics andother pollutant, it might do more harm than what are known nowWhat We Can Do To Fight Microplastics?As we all know, plastic and microplastics are not naturally occurringproduct in the environment, which means every piece that we see inthe wild are directly caused by humans. To actually turn the tides onthem, integrated actions between many stakeholders should be done.On our part as consumer, there are some ways that we can do aboutthis big super tiny problem.1. Don’t use single-use plastics2. Be a conscientious consumer when you shop, rangingfrom the materials of the product to how we boughtthe product (in bulk, using personal container, etc.)3. Recycle, donate, repair4. Put pressure on offenders and praise those who arereducing plastic use5. Take a pledge to reduce your plastic use6. Participate in cleanup efforts7. Become and adventure scientists to help with research8. Organize a plastic pollution event9. Support organizations that are fighting plasticpollution10. Get politically active11. Lead the change and be example for others!Picture Source: hellosehat.comPicture Source: DW.comREFERENCES1. NOAA. 2019. What are microplastics? National Ocean Service website,https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/microplastics.html, 11/15/19.2. National Geographic Society. 2019. Microplastics, National Geographicwebsite, https://www.nationalgeographic.org/encyclopedia/microplastics/,07/01/19.3. Anonym. 2019. How do microplastics affect? Iberdrola website.https://www.iberdrola.com/environment/microplastics-threat-to-health,Accessed on 12/17/194. Lusher. A., P. Hollman, and J. Mendoza-Hill. 2017. Microplastics in fisheriesand aquaculture: Status of knowledge on their occurrence and implicationsfor aquatic organisms and food safety. FAO, Rome.5. Anonym. 2017. Microplastics. Tox Town National Institutes of Healthwebsite, https://toxtown.nlm.nih.gov/sources-of-exposure/microplastics,05/31/17.6. Choo, R. 2018. What you can do to fight plastic pollution. Earth Institute ofColumbia University website,https://blogs.ei.columbia.edu/2018/05/11/can-fight-plastic-pollution/,05/11/18.7. Gold, M. V. 2007. Sustainable agriculture: Definitions and terms. NationalAgricultural Library website, https://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/sustainableagriculture-definitions-and-terms#toc2,Accessed on 12/17/19.8. Anonym. 2019. What is sustainable agriculture? Agricultural SustainabilityInstitute UC David website,https://asi.ucdavis.edu/programs/ucsarep/about/what-is-sustainableagriculture,Accessed on 12/17/19.9. Corradini, F., P. Meza, R. Eguiluz. F. Casado, E. Huerta-Lwanga, and V.Geissen. 2019. Evidence of microplastic accumulation in agricultural soilsfrom sewage sludge disposal. Science of The Total Environment 671: 411-420.10. Wang, J., X. Liu, Y. Li, T. Powell, X. Wang, G. Wang, and P. Zhang.Microplastics as contaminants in the sol environment: A mini-review.Science of The Total Environment 691: 848-857.27
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