Microplastics – Presence on Farm Fields from Sewage Sludge Applications Reported

On February 2, 2021, the Natural Resources Defense Council issued a report, titled “A Growing Concern: Microplastic Pollution on Farm Fields”  – “… A growing body of research shows that those teensy plastic particles end up not just in waterways but also on farmland, raising concerns over our food supply and our well-being. Contaminated crops could potentially be one of myriad ways that plastic—from its production to its use to its “disposal”—is harmful to our health … When people wash their synthetic threads, microfibers are released and flow into wastewater treatment plants. From there, up to 99 percent of the microfibers … wind up in sludge that treatment plants offer to farmers who spread it on their fields as fertilizer … [microplastics also come] from tools that farmers use on their land, such as plastic mulch, seed coatings, and coverings that keep out weeds and pests …” - The web link to the report is included in the post on the home page of Plastic Food Packaging Waste News at https://pfpw.news/2021/02/03/microplastics-presence-on-farm-fields-from-sewage-sludge-applications-reported/ #SewageSludge #MicroPlastics #PlasticWaste #SingleUsePlastic