{
  "abstract": "The extensive use of plastics in agriculture has resulted in the accumulation of macroplastics (MAPs, >5 mm) and microplastics (MPs, ≤5 mm) in agricultural soils, posing risks to soil functioning and food security. However, the relative contributions of different input pathways to soil MPs remain insufficiently quantified, particularly within intensively plastic-mulched systems. This study quantified and comparatively evaluated multiple MP input pathways within representative long-term plastic film mulch (PFM)-dominated farmlands in China. A large-scale field investigation (266 samples for MP analysis and 29 soil samples for MAP analysis, collected across 27 counties in Yunnan, Gansu, and Shandong Provinces) was integrated with a material flow analysis (MFA) modelling framework to assess source contributions under a defined system boundary. MAP and MP concentrations were highest in Yunnan (120.9 kg ha − 1 ; 7.3 × 10 5 items kg − 1 ), followed by Gansu (94.0 kg ha − 1 ; 6.1 × 10 5 items kg − 1 ) and Shandong (61.2 kg ha − 1 ; 4.0 × 10 5 items kg − 1 ). Model results showed that PFM contributed 19.0 ± 3.1%, 0.7 ± 0.1%, and 4.3 ± 0.9% of soil MPs in Yunnan, Gansu, and Shandong, respectively. Compost, irrigation water, and atmospheric deposition were also identified as relevant pathways. Within the defined study boundary and modelling assumptions, non-PFM pathways, particularly atmospheric deposition, may contribute substantially to soil MP inputs in plastic-mulched systems. These results highlight the importance of integrating multiple pathways for comparative source assessment and for developing more targeted agricultural plastic management strategies.",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK",
    "State Key Laboratory of Nutrient Use and Management, College of Resources and Environmental Sciences; National Academy of Agriculture Green Development, Key Laboratory of Plant-Soil Interactions of Ministry of Education, National Field Observation and Research Station (Hebei Quzhou) for Agriculture Green Development, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
    "College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China",
    "Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China",
    "School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China",
    "Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China",
    "Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Residual Pollution in Agricultural Film, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China",
    "Quzhou Agricultural Green Industry Research Institute; Hebei Quzhou Experimental Station, China Agricultural University, Quzhou, Hebei, China",
    "College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China"
  ],
  "article_type": null,
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 18,
  "authors": [
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Siyang Ren",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-6369-495X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Kai Wang",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1305-6789"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Jinrui Zhang",
      "orcid": "0000-0003-1861-7554"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Liyuan Chen"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Martine Graf",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-7994-0529"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "Perrine J. Florent",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4728-232X"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Ruimin Qi",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-3148-0006"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Jixiao Cui",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-9224-5600"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        5,
        7,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xiuting Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Kaijing Qu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Yiran Zhang",
      "orcid": "0009-0000-2045-6601"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        8
      ],
      "name": "Fan Ding"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Qin Liu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "严昌荣 YAN Changrong"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1
      ],
      "name": "Fusuo Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "DL Jones",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-1482-4209"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        2,
        5,
        7,
        1
      ],
      "name": "Xuejun Liu",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-8367-5833"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        0
      ],
      "name": "David R. Chadwick"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fdfqe2qgehe1k.bib",
  "cited_by": 6,
  "doi": "10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2",
  "fulltext_url": null,
  "id": "fdfqe2qgehe1k",
  "issns": [
    "2731-9202"
  ],
  "landing_url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2",
  "language": "en",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC-ND",
  "licence_source": "journal",
  "licence_url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/",
  "metadata_licence": null,
  "native_subjects": [
    [
      "openalex",
      "2310|Microplastics and Plastic Pollution"
    ]
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  "openalex": "W7167473765",
  "pdf_url": "https://www.nature.com/articles/s44264-026-00169-2.pdf",
  "pmcid": null,
  "pmid": null,
  "published": "2026-07-06",
  "publisher": "Springer Science+Business Media",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fdfqe2qgehe1k.ris",
  "sources": [
    {
      "first_seen": "2026-11-01T13:20:23Z",
      "native_id": "W7167473765",
      "source": "openalex",
      "url": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2"
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  "subjects": [
    {
      "field": "earth",
      "origin": "openalex:2310|Microplastics and Plastic Pollution",
      "subfield": "environmental-science"
    }
  ],
  "title": "The contribution of plastic film mulch to microplastics in agricultural soils was highly overestimated",
  "title_text": "The contribution of plastic film mulch to microplastics in agricultural soils was highly overestimated",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-08T13:20:55Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/fdfqe2qgehe1k",
  "venue": "npj Sustainable Agriculture",
  "versions": []
}