Fate and distribution of microplastics in water and sediment collected from Samiran ditch irrigation

Microplastics (MPs), which are emerging pollutants in terrestrial ecosystems, could potentially impact plant growth. One of the least explored aspects of crop development is seed germination, a crucial stage in the plant's lifecycle. This study conducted soil cultivation trials to investigate the effects of 1% (w/w) concentrations of polyethylene (PET), polypropylene (PP), and polystyrene (PS) MPs on rice growth over a 15‐day period. Parameters such as fresh weight, shoot height, root length, chlorophyll levels, and MPs identification in the roots were observed. The findings revealed the accumulation of 6–9 MP items in the roots. PET MPs inhibited root elongation (15%–20%), reduced shoot height (15%–30%), and decreased rice fresh weight (12%–37%). MPs PET, PP, and PS contamination reduced the content of chlorophyll a (15%–43%), b (21%–41%), and total (11%–40%) in rice leaves. This study enhances our understanding of the ecotoxicological effects of these three types of MPs on rice. The utilization of this data will further inform our understanding of MPs' behavior in soil vegetation and provide valuable insights into their land‐based impacts.

Investigating the Impact of Microplastics Type of Polyethylene, Polypropylene, and Polystyrene on Seed Germination and Early Growth of Rice Plants

Iswahyudi,

Widodo,

Warkoyo

et al. 2024

Research and Trends of Filtration for Removing Microplastics in Freshwater Environments

Garfansa,

Zalizar,

Husen

et al. 2024

Microplastics (MPs) are a pollutant that increasingly threatens freshwater ecosystems and requires effective solutions for their removal. The aim of this study is to review current filtration methods used to remove MPs from freshwater environments. This study uses a systematic review method of existing literature regarding filtration techniques for removing MPs. Data were collected from various scientific sources published between 2015 and 2023. The filtration techniques analyzed include traditional filtration and advanced filtration technology. The study results show that advanced filtration technologies such as nanofiltration and biofiltration have a high potential in removing MPs from freshwater. However, each technique has its own challenges, including removal efficiency and implementation cost. The conclusion is that filtration is an effective method for dealing with MP pollution in freshwater ecosystems; however, further study is needed to address the existing challenges. This study provides in‐depth insights that can help develop more efficient policies and technologies for managing MP pollution in the future.

Impact of Microplastics on the Carbon and Nitrogen of Vermicompost

Iswahyudi,

Sutanto,

Widodo

et al. 2024

The impact of microplastics (MPs) on carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) content in vermicompost is not yet fully understood. This study aims to evaluate the effect of MPs on the carbon and nitrogen ratio in vermicompost, which is important for soil quality and health. The study was carried out using a control treatment and six variations of MPs in the vermicomposting process. Observations were carried out at certain time intervals for 60 days with routine measurements of pH, electrical conductivity (EC), seed germination index (GI), survival rate (SR), and C/N ratio. The results showed that all types of MPs caused a decrease in the C/N ratio compared to the control, with the high‐density polyethylene (HDPE) MPs treatment showing the most significant decrease (from 21 to 9.42). Observations also showed that MPs had an impact on reducing the SR parameters (6.88%–20.41%), pH (6.8–6.1), and EC (525.3–398 µs/cm) in vermicompost, which had an impact on the final product quality thereby reducing the GI (10%–28%). MPs have a significant effect on the C/N ratio in vermicompost, reducing the quality of the compost. This study provides new insights into how MPs can affect the composting process and the quality of the final product, important for sustainable agricultural practices and waste management.