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Peer-reviewedCC BY-NC-NDnpj Sustainable Agriculture

The contribution of plastic film mulch to microplastics in agricultural soils was highly overestimated

  • Siyang Ren1,2
  • Kai Wang2
  • Jinrui Zhang3,2
  • Liyuan Chen4
  • Martine Graf1
  • Perrine J. Florent1
  • Ruimin Qi5
  • Jixiao Cui6,7
  • Xiuting Liu3,6,8,2
  • Kaijing Qu1,2
  • Yiran Zhang3,2
  • Fan Ding9
6 more authors
  • Qin Liu6,7
  • 严昌荣 YAN Changrong6,7
  • Fusuo Zhang2
  • DL Jones1
  • Xuejun Liu3,6,8,2
  • David R. Chadwick1
9 affiliations
  1. 1School of Environmental & Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, UK
  2. 2State 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
  3. 3College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Beijing Key Laboratory of Farmland Soil Pollution Prevention and Remediation, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China
  4. 4Co-Innovation Center for Sustainable Forestry in Southern China, College of Ecology and Environment, Nanjing Forestry University, Nanjing, China
  5. 5School of Environment and Natural Resources, Zhejiang University of Science and Technology, Hangzhou, China
  6. 6Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing, China
  7. 7Key Laboratory of Prevention and Control of Residual Pollution in Agricultural Film, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, Beijing, China
  8. 8Quzhou Agricultural Green Industry Research Institute; Hebei Quzhou Experimental Station, China Agricultural University, Quzhou, Hebei, China
  9. 9College of Land and Environment, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China
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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.

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Cite

BibTeXRIS
BibTeX
@article{ren2026contribution,
  title = {{The contribution of plastic film mulch to microplastics in agricultural soils was highly overestimated}},
  author = {Siyang Ren and Kai Wang and Jinrui Zhang and Liyuan Chen and Martine Graf and Perrine J. Florent and Ruimin Qi and Jixiao Cui and Xiuting Liu and Kaijing Qu and Yiran Zhang and Fan Ding and Qin Liu and 严昌荣 YAN Changrong and Fusuo Zhang and DL Jones and Xuejun Liu and David R. Chadwick},
  journal = {npj Sustainable Agriculture},
  year = {2026},
  month = jul,
  doi = {10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2},
  note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY  - JOUR
TI  - The contribution of plastic film mulch to microplastics in agricultural soils was highly overestimated
AU  - Siyang Ren
AU  - Kai Wang
AU  - Jinrui Zhang
AU  - Liyuan Chen
AU  - Martine Graf
AU  - Perrine J. Florent
AU  - Ruimin Qi
AU  - Jixiao Cui
AU  - Xiuting Liu
AU  - Kaijing Qu
AU  - Yiran Zhang
AU  - Fan Ding
AU  - Qin Liu
AU  - 严昌荣 YAN Changrong
AU  - Fusuo Zhang
AU  - DL Jones
AU  - Xuejun Liu
AU  - David R. Chadwick
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/07/06
JO  - npj Sustainable Agriculture
DO  - 10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2
UR  - https://doi.org/10.1038/s44264-026-00169-2
AB  - 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.
SN  - 2731-9202
ER  -