Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia

Presently, microplastic pollution has emerged as a growing environmental risk around the world. Nevertheless, knowledge of the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in tropical agricultural soil is limited. This study investigated the pollution of surface soil microplastics in two agricult...

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Main Authors: Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi, Praveena, Sarva Mangala, Wahid, Samsuri Abdul, Liew, Josephine Ying Chyi
Format: Article
Published: Springer 2024
Online Access:http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/105683/
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author Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi
Praveena, Sarva Mangala
Wahid, Samsuri Abdul
Liew, Josephine Ying Chyi
author_facet Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi
Praveena, Sarva Mangala
Wahid, Samsuri Abdul
Liew, Josephine Ying Chyi
author_sort Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi
building UPM Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description Presently, microplastic pollution has emerged as a growing environmental risk around the world. Nevertheless, knowledge of the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in tropical agricultural soil is limited. This study investigated the pollution of surface soil microplastics in two agricultural farms located at Klang Valley, Malaysia. An extraction method based on density separation by using saturated extraction solution (sodium sulfate, ρ = 2 g cm−3 and sucrose, ρ = 1.59 g cm−3 with a ratio 1:1, v/v) was carried out. The study revealed the mean particle size of soil microplastics with 3260.76 ± 880.38 μm in farm A and 2822.31 ± 408.48 μm in farm B. The dominant types of soil microplastics were fragments and films with major colors of white (59) and transparent (28) in farm A, while black (52) and white (37.6) in farm B. Representatives of soil microplastics detected polymers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate (PC), and polystyrene (PS). The sources of plastic products were black and white plastic pipes, black plastic films for vegetation, fertilizer bottles, plastic water containers and polystyrene storage boxes, and the breakdown processes, contributed to the microplastic pollution in these farms. The outcomes of this study will establish a better understanding of microplastic pollution in tropical agricultural soil in the Southeast Asian region. The findings would be beneficial as supportive reference for the endeavor to reduce microplastic pollution in agricultural soil. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.
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spelling upm-1056832024-02-13T03:33:57Z http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/105683/ Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi Praveena, Sarva Mangala Wahid, Samsuri Abdul Liew, Josephine Ying Chyi Presently, microplastic pollution has emerged as a growing environmental risk around the world. Nevertheless, knowledge of the occurrence and characteristics of microplastics in tropical agricultural soil is limited. This study investigated the pollution of surface soil microplastics in two agricultural farms located at Klang Valley, Malaysia. An extraction method based on density separation by using saturated extraction solution (sodium sulfate, ρ = 2 g cm−3 and sucrose, ρ = 1.59 g cm−3 with a ratio 1:1, v/v) was carried out. The study revealed the mean particle size of soil microplastics with 3260.76 ± 880.38 μm in farm A and 2822.31 ± 408.48 μm in farm B. The dominant types of soil microplastics were fragments and films with major colors of white (59) and transparent (28) in farm A, while black (52) and white (37.6) in farm B. Representatives of soil microplastics detected polymers of polyvinyl chloride (PVC), high density polyethylene (HDPE), polycarbonate (PC), and polystyrene (PS). The sources of plastic products were black and white plastic pipes, black plastic films for vegetation, fertilizer bottles, plastic water containers and polystyrene storage boxes, and the breakdown processes, contributed to the microplastic pollution in these farms. The outcomes of this study will establish a better understanding of microplastic pollution in tropical agricultural soil in the Southeast Asian region. The findings would be beneficial as supportive reference for the endeavor to reduce microplastic pollution in agricultural soil. © 2024, The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG. Springer 2024 Article PeerReviewed Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi and Praveena, Sarva Mangala and Wahid, Samsuri Abdul and Liew, Josephine Ying Chyi (2024) Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, 196 (2). art. no. 144. ISSN 0167-6369; ESSN: 1573-2959 https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85182096150&doi=10.1007%2fs10661-024-12330-w&partnerID=40&md5=f138732c0779085f8a2ff0eb19bce90e 10.1007/s10661-024-12330-w
spellingShingle Shanmugam, Shyamala Devi
Praveena, Sarva Mangala
Wahid, Samsuri Abdul
Liew, Josephine Ying Chyi
Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia
title Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_full Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_fullStr Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_full_unstemmed Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_short Occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in Klang Valley, Malaysia
title_sort occurrence and characteristics of microplastics pollution in tropical agricultural soils in klang valley, malaysia
url http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/105683/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/105683/
http://psasir.upm.edu.my/id/eprint/105683/