{"id":143717,"date":"2024-10-10T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2024-10-10T11:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/?p=143717"},"modified":"2024-10-10T00:17:55","modified_gmt":"2024-10-10T05:17:55","slug":"farm-waste-can-filter-microplastics-in-runoff-prevent-pollution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thelocalvoice.net\/oxford\/farm-waste-can-filter-microplastics-in-runoff-prevent-pollution\/","title":{"rendered":"Farm Waste Can Filter Microplastics in Runoff, Prevent Pollution"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Researchers find biochar reduces microplastic pollution in agricultural runoff by more than 92%<\/em><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Using treated plant waste as a filter reduced the presence of harmful microplastics in agricultural runoff by more than 92%, according to a new study authored by a University of Mississippi<\/strong> research team.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microplastics \u2013 tiny plastic particles that are smaller than 5 millimeters \u2013 have\u00a0been found in every ocean on earth, in food, water,<\/a>\u00a0and recently, in farmlands. An Ole Miss<\/strong>-led research group has published proof-of-concept data that shows\u00a0biochar to be a cost friendly and effective method of filtering microplastics from overland water runoff.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Biochar is a type of charcoal made from plant material that has been heated or burned in an oxygen-limited environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“Microplastics in the environment stem in part from the degradation of larger plastic by natural physical, chemical and biological processes,” said James Cizdziel<\/strong>, professor and interim chair of the\u00a0Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry<\/strong>.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

“They pose an enormous challenge as they are widespread, persistent and can accumulate in plants and wildlife, leading to detrimental effects on certain organisms and, potentially, on humans who consume them.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microplastics have been found in humans and the part of human brains responsible for smell<\/a>. Though scientists don’t yet know the effects of microplastics on the human body, many studies show that the plastics negatively affect fish and animals that ingest them.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Microplastics in agriculture come from two primary sources, said Boluwatife Olubusoye<\/strong>, an Ole Miss doctoral student in chemistry and an author of the study.\u00a0Sewage sludge from wastewater treatment plants,<\/a>\u00a0which is used as a fertilizer, and\u00a0plastic mulch and row covers<\/a>, which insulate plants and promote growth, both bring measurable amounts of microplastics to agricultural areas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“When these plastic sheets break down in the field, they become very tiny and that’s how you get microplastics in the agricultural fields,” the Lagos, Nigeria<\/strong>, native said. “What happens is that when there is a heavy rainfall, there will be a wash of this agricultural field, which can lead to agricultural runoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“And this runoff can transport microplastics, and other pollutants, from the farm into aquatic environments \u2013 such as rivers, lakes and oceans \u2013 where microplastics can pose threats to organisms like oysters and small fishes.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many animals, including humans, feed on such organisms, where the microplastics could be passed on.<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Olubusoye and collaborators from the\u00a0U.S. Department of Agriculture<\/strong>‘s Water Quality and Ecology Research Unit<\/strong><\/a>\u00a0in Oxford traveled to a farm near Beasley Lake<\/strong> in the Mississippi Delta<\/strong> to collect agricultural runoff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They tested the water for microplastics in Cizdziel’s microplastic research laboratory at Ole Miss, and passed the runoff through biochar to determine how effective it was at capturing the microplastics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We also observed that in addition to agricultural runoff, urban stormwater runoff is a prominent source of microplastics pollution,” Olubusoye said. “Our research is trying to reduce the influx of these contaminants from these runoff events into downstream waterbodies.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Using biochar reduced the amount of microplastics in samples of runoff by between 86.6% and 92.6%. Because of the success of the initial tests, the researchers are scaling up efforts to test biochar in the field.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The researchers will present their findings at three upcoming conferences, including:<\/p>\n\n\n\n