Distribution characteristics of soil microplastics and their impact on soil physicochemical properties in agricultural areas of the North China plain†

Microplastic (MPs) pollution has become a global issue, with particular concern regarding MPs in soil. To determine the characteristics of MPs in agricultural production areas and their impact on soil physicochemical properties, soil samples were collected from different land use types in the North China Plain. Layered sampling was conducted and the soil physicochemical properties were determined. A novel image recognition method based on fluorescence staining was proposed for the batch analysis of MPs in the study area. Together with the results of the soil physicochemical properties, the impact of MPs on soil physicochemical properties was analyzed and evaluated. The results showed that the soil MPs abundance in this agricultural area was moderate to low compared to other agricultural areas, with a larger proportion of particle-type and fragment-type MPs smaller than 10 μm. The soil MPs were predominantly composed of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polypropylene (PP). MPs abundance was higher in farmland and forest land than in vegetable fields. The impact of MPs on soil physicochemical properties was mainly manifested in the changes in soil structure due to the different MPs characteristics. Apart from abundance, the type of MPs was found to be the main factor affecting soil bulk density, with particle size and shape influencing the soil aggregate structure. MPs may effect the pH values of sandy and loamy soils, primarily by altering the soil porosity and water holding capacity, but also by increasing the area and duration of contact between the soil medium and external water sources. This study revealed the MPs characteristics in agricultural areas as well as the pathways by which they can impact soil physicochemical properties.