Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Soil organic nitrogen rather than fertilizer drives dinitrogen losses in flooded rice systems.

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·2026
Same author

Global hotspots of particulate organic carbon losses under climate change.

Nature communications·2026
Same author

A flowing database: Harnessing sewage-based surveillance for antimicrobial resistance.

Innovation (Cambridge (Mass.))·2025
Same author

Co-exposure of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) decreased the submicron plastic stress in soil-plant system.

Eco-Environment & Health·2025
Same author

Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient.

Environmental pollution (Barking, Essex : 1987)·2025
Same author

Natural and Human Disturbances Have Non-Linear Effects on Whole-Ecosystem Carbon Storage in an African Savanna.

Global change biology·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Quantification of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate-based Micro- and Nano-plastics from Soil Using Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
05:05

Quantification of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate-based Micro- and Nano-plastics from Soil Using Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Published on: June 6, 2025

824

Plastics in soil: Analytical methods and possible sources.

Melanie Bläsing1, Wulf Amelung1

  • 1Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conservation (INRES), Soil Science and Soil Ecology, University of Bonn, Nussallee 13, 53115 Bonn, Germany.

The Science of the Total Environment
|September 2, 2017
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Plastic pollution in soil is a growing concern, with significant amounts entering the environment annually. This review highlights knowledge gaps in plastic quantification, sources, and fate in soil, emphasizing the need for further research.

Keywords:
CompostFateLeachingSoil pollutionSynthetic polymers

More Related Videos

Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis
10:12

Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis

Published on: July 1, 2017

12.2K
Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils
14:10

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Published on: March 21, 2025

3.5K

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Feb 23, 2026

Quantification of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate-based Micro- and Nano-plastics from Soil Using Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
05:05

Quantification of Polybutylene Adipate Terephthalate-based Micro- and Nano-plastics from Soil Using Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy

Published on: June 6, 2025

824
Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis
10:12

Extraction of Organochlorine Pesticides from Plastic Pellets and Plastic Type Analysis

Published on: July 1, 2017

12.2K
Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils
14:10

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Published on: March 21, 2025

3.5K

Area of Science:

  • Environmental Science
  • Soil Science
  • Ecotoxicology

Background:

  • Annual plastic production exceeds 300 million tons, with substantial environmental release.
  • Plastic persists for decades, harming ecosystems and entering food chains.
  • Knowledge regarding soil plastic pollution remains critically limited.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review methods for plastic quantification and identification in soil.
  • To assess plastic quantities and input pathways into soil ecosystems.
  • To understand the environmental fate of plastics within soil.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of existing studies on soil plastic pollution.
  • Analysis of potential methods for plastic quantification and identification in soil, adapted from sediment analysis.
  • Screening of plastic content in compost and assessment of various input pathways.

Main Results:

  • Current data on soil plastic pollution are scarce, and methods require validation for soil matrices.
  • Identified input pathways include agricultural mulching, soil amendments, wastewater irrigation, and water bodies.
  • Preliminary findings show significant plastic concentrations in compost and sewage sludge, and varying levels in irrigation and floodwaters.

Conclusions:

  • Soil plastic pollution is a significant but understudied issue with diverse input sources.
  • Plastics, particularly microplastics and larger fragments, are likely to accumulate and persist in soils.
  • Urgent research is needed to address the prevalence, impact, and long-term fate of synthetic polymers in terrestrial ecosystems.