The Extraction and Characterization of Microplastics of Biocompost and Water Samples Collected from the Different Semi-Urban Agronurseries
Roopika Sivaraman, Haritha Thulaseedharan Nair, Sharmila Krishnan, Perumal Siddhuraju
Soil and Sediment Contamination An International Journal
Urban Farm DB summary
This study analyzed biocompost and water samples from four agricultural nurseries in semi-urban Coimbatore, India, for microplastic contamination using density separation and ATR-FTIR. While physicochemical properties met Indian standards, microplastic fragments (85%) and fibers (15%) were found in two biocompost samples (BC-B and BC-C), identifying PMMA, PP, and EVA polymers. No microplastics were detected in samples BC-A and BC-D, but the findings suggest semi-urban agricultural gardening may contribute to microplastic accumulation in terrestrial environments, potentially harming soil and plant health.