EGU24-2520, updated on 08 Mar 2024
https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2520
EGU General Assembly 2024
© Author(s) 2024. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Cropland Microplastics in Xinjiang: Unveiling Distribution and Impact of Mulching Film Residues

Qingling Zhang1, Shan Zhang2, Wuzhou Dong1, Zhipan Wang1, and Zewen Mo1
Qingling Zhang et al.
  • 1School of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou, China (zhangqling@mail.sysu.edu.cn)
  • 2College of Environment and Resources,Guangxi Normal University,Guilin,China (zhangshan@gxnu.edu.cn)

Microplastics, ubiquitous environmental pollutants, pose a significant threat to agricultural ecosystems and food safety. Xinjiang, a critical dryland agricultural region in China, faces a pressing issue with microplastic accumulation due to extensive use of mulching film. This study addresses this challenge by combining feild investigation, lab analysis, and remote sensing observations:

  • Developing an improved, batch-processed soil microplastics extraction method, optimizing cost and time.
  • Extracting and analyzing microplastics from typical Xinjiang cropland soil, revealing their distribution patterns and influencing factors.
  • Establishing a model linking microplastic abundance to cumulative mulching film years, providing a predictive tool.
  • Combining the model with remote sensing data to unveil the regional distribution of microplastics across Xinjiang croplands.

Our findings provide:

  • A deeper understanding of microplastic pollution dynamics in mulching film-based agriculture.
  • A robust method for assessing and predicting microplastic contamination in croplands.
  • Valuable data for informing mitigation strategies and policy decisions.

This study paves the way for effective microplastic management and for examining their environmental impacts in Xinjiang and beyond, safeguarding agricultural productivity and environmental health. Future study efforts are encouraged to examine local and remote impacts of soil microplastics in Xinjiang and beyond.

How to cite: Zhang, Q., Zhang, S., Dong, W., Wang, Z., and Mo, Z.: Cropland Microplastics in Xinjiang: Unveiling Distribution and Impact of Mulching Film Residues, EGU General Assembly 2024, Vienna, Austria, 14–19 Apr 2024, EGU24-2520, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-egu24-2520, 2024.