Nanoplastics are an increasing threat to the ecosystem; however, their mobility in the soil is still underexplored.
Nanoplastics are an increasing threat to the ecosystem; however, their mobility in the soil is still underexplored. Against this backdrop, researchers from Waseda University and the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology investigated the adsorption and aggregation behavior of nanoplastics in different types of soil under different pH conditions. The study offers new perspectives on the migration and environmental interactions of nanoplastics, while broadening our knowledge of pollution dynamics and soil contamination processes.
Plastics are everywhere—from packaging and textiles to electronics and medical devices. As plastic waste breaks down, it releases microscopic particles that can penetrate our ecosystems, hinder plant growth, and potentially transfer harmful pollutants to organisms, including humans. Therefore, these plastic particles are a potential threat to the ecosystem, especially in their nanoparticulate form (1–100 nm diameter) which can penetrate the environment through different routes, including the soil beneath our feet.
With this in mind, a team of researchers from Japan set out to study the migration behavior of nanoplastics in different soil types. The study was led by Kyouhei Tsuchida, a PhD student from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) and Waseda University, Japan, with fellow students Yukari Imoto, Takeshi Saito and Junko Hara also from AIST, and Professor Yoshishige Kawabe from the Department of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Waseda University. This study was published online in the journal Science of The Total Environment on April 4, 2025.
Read more at Waseda University
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