Examining Soil Microplastics: Prevalence and Consequences Across Varied Land Use Contexts

Abstract

In an extensive exploration of microplastics within soil environments, our study aims to investigate the presence, spread, and ecological impact of microplastics in soil, focusing on Makassar City, Indonesia. Using a Sinher binocular digital microscope, we visually examined soil samples in Petri dishes, measuring microplastic sizes with Image-J software. Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy was also employed for additional identification and analysis of polymer compositions. Our research uncovered a widespread presence of microplastics across diverse soil types and land uses, including residential, fishpond, agricultural, landfill, coastal, and bareland areas. The concentration of these microplastics was found to be between 16.6 to 21.9 particles/gram, showing consistency across most land uses, with some variations in coastal areas. We noted a significant variety in microplastic forms, predominantly fragments and films, across the different land uses. A wide range of colors was observed, including blue, green, red, and transparent. Polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) were identified as the predominant polymers. Our study highlights the non-uniform distribution of microplastics in soil, suggesting potential significant impacts on soil organisms and the wider ecosystem. These findings underscore the critical need for more comprehensive research on the ecological implications of microplastics in soil environments.