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Updated: Jan 13, 2026

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

Published on: March 21, 2025

Widespread microplastic contamination in Australian soils: Sources, pathways, and environmental implications.

Subharthe Samandra¹, Ellis S G Mackay¹, Wesam S Alwan²

¹Australian Laboratory for Emerging Contaminants (ALEC), School of Chemistry, The University of Melbourne, Grattan Street, Melbourne, Victoria, 3010, Australia.

|January 10, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Microplastic soil contamination is widespread in Australia, with high levels found across various land uses. Fragments and pellets were the most common shapes, with acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, polycarbonate, polyethylene, and polyurethane being dominant polymers.

Keywords:

Land-use Microplastics Pollution Soil contamination Source and fate

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Separation and Identification of Conventional Microplastics from Farmland Soils

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Sampling and Identification of Microplastics in Groundwater

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Area of Science:

Environmental Science
Ecotoxicology
Polymer Science

Background:

Microplastics are pervasive environmental pollutants, transported via multiple pathways.
They can adsorb external contaminants and contain internal additives, posing risks.
Their environmental persistence, bioaccumulation, and toxicity are significant concerns.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantify microplastic abundance and types in Australian soils.
To investigate microplastic contamination across diverse land use settings.
To identify dominant polymer types and particle morphologies.

Main Methods:

Analysis of 55 soil samples from Victoria and New South Wales, Australia.
Identification of 13 different polymers in the 10–1000 μm size range.
Foam fractionation technique used for microplastic separation from soil matrix.

Main Results:

Mean microplastic abundance of 14,400 ± 20,000 particles/kg (median: 4200).
Particles predominantly ranged from 10–100 μm in size.
Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate (PC), polyethylene (PE), and polyurethane (PU) were the most prevalent polymers.
Fragments (38%) and pellets (27%) were the dominant morphologies.

Conclusions:

This study provides the first comprehensive survey of microplastics in Australian soils.
Microplastic contamination is significant across various land use types.
Understanding polymer types and morphologies is crucial for risk assessment and mitigation strategies.