Understanding the risk of microplastics in Australian agricultural soils. Biosolids following wastewater treatment are a significant source of microplastics (MPs) that are contaminants of concern. MPs

Description

Understanding the risk of microplastics in Australian agricultural soils. Biosolids following wastewater treatment are a significant source of microplastics (MPs) that are contaminants of concern. MPs in biosolids pose potential unknown risks to agriculture, food security and ecosystem health through their application to farmlands. Currently, the lack of knowledge on the MPs contamination of agricultural soils is a significant knowledge gap. This project aims to generate new knowledge of MPs' fate, behaviour, risk and associated contaminants in biosolids and sludge-amended agricultural soils. The new knowledge generated in this project is expected to help devise better management options to minimise the MP associated risks in agricultural soils, thereby safeguarding the food security and soil health.. Scheme: Discovery Projects. Field: 4106 - Soil Sciences. Lead: Prof Megharaj Mallavarapu