Environmental Science
How Plastic Mulch Films Create Long-Term Soil Microplastic Contamination
Quick fact
A single field can accumulate up to 50 kg of microplastic per hectare each year from plastic mulch films, with residues remaining in the soil for hundreds of years.
Why this is interesting
Every year, millions of tons of plastic mulch are draped over farm fields. Why does so little of it ever get removed, and what happens to the rest?