PLAGROSYS – Assessment and Monitoring of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Agroecosystems

Plastic contamination poses a significant threat to our environment and society, as addressed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the EU Circular Economy Plan, among other forums. In particular, the smaller size fractions, the nano- (NPL) and microplastic (MPL) particles are problematic due to their rapid spread and accumulation in ecosystems. With increasing plastic pollution globally, there is a growing concern about the impact on agricultural productivity and food safety. PLAGROSYS focuses on the development of reliable assessment and effective mitigation strategies of NPL/MPL in contaminated agro systems. The cooperative research involves several key objectives. First, the SZTE Institute of Geography and Earth Sciences will investigate the pathways, distribution and behavior of NPL/MPLs in agricultural soils treated with municipal sewage sludge (composts) by field and laboratory studies with the involvement of stakeholders. Second, researchers at the University of Queensland in Australia will assess the impact of NPL/MPL on soil health and microorganism distribution. Third, the SZTE Biology Institute will assess the impact of NPL/MPL pollution on rhizosphere-crop-animal ecosystems. Fourth, the synthesis of a new class of extraction chemicals specifically designed for plastic collection will be performed by the research group at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne in Switzerland. Fifth, modern scattering and microscopy techniques will be applied to study the efficiency and selectivity of the extraction protocols at the SZTE Chemistry Institute and thus, to describe the level of contamination in different agricultural samples. Overall, the PLAGROSYS project is both relevant and achievable in addressing the pressing plastic pollution challenges due to the unique insights into sampling, impact, extraction, and monitoring of NPL/MPL in agricultural systems, and thus the findings are expected to contribute to food safety and human well-being.