Speaker
Description
Microplastics are increasingly prevalent contaminants in soils and have been identified as potential vectors for nutrients, heavy metals and pathogens. Their interactions with soil structure, salinity, and microbial activity may significantly influence contaminant transport. This study investigates the combined effects of microplastic and sodium concentrations on chloride leaching in soil systems, serving as a conservative tracer to assess solute mobility relative to water flow. Microplastics were incorporated with a silty clay loam soil at concentrations of 0.5% and 1% (w/w) and the samples were packed into columns at a bulk density of 1.3 g cm-3 with salinity adjusted to 0, 9.2 and 29 meq L-1 by adding NaCl. They microplastics were polyethylene (PE) and polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC), 125 microns in size. Columns were incubated for five weeks at 28 C prior to the leaching experiments. Leachates were analysed for chloride concentration, electrical conductivity (EC), and pH. The results showed that increasing microplastic concentrations could enhance preferential transport of chloride by acting as contaminant vectors, but sodium-induced changes in soil solution and structure could alter the rate of leaching; PE transported chloride more readily than PVC under elevated sodium concentrations. However, high sodium concentrations in the absence of microplastics decreased chloride leachability. The leachate’s pH and EC values were governed by the type of microplastics. This study aims to improve understanding of how microplastics interact with salinity to influence contaminant transport and fate in soils, with implications for agricultural and contaminated land management systems.
| Country | United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Acceptance of the Terms & Conditions | Click here to agree |
