Extraction and identification methods of microplastics and nanoplastics in agricultural soil: A review

As the abundance of microplastics and nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) increases in the environment, their presence in agricultural soil has become of interest. MPs/NPs can affect soil physical and chemical properties and be absorbed by plants and soil animals, causing physical and chemical damage. Soil MPs exceeding a certain concentration cause significant harm. Therefore, the extraction and identification of MPs in soil are vital for determining soil pollution. However, soils contain many other particles of similar size to MPs/NPs, making it more difficult to distinguish them than in water bodies. No standardized extraction and identification method is available to quantify MPs/NPs in soil. Various methods have been described in the literature, but they involve many different procedures for sampling, purification, digestion, and identification. This paper reviews extraction and identification methods for MPs/NPs in soil, sediment, and water and summarizes agricultural soil sampling and preservation, MPs/NPs separation, organic matter removal, and MPs/NPs identification. We also compare the advantages and disadvantages of existing methods and propose future research topics.

Automated summary

This paper reviews the extraction and identification methods for microplastics and nanoplastics in soil, highlighting the lack of a standardized method due to the presence of particles of similar size in soil. The advantages and disadvantages of existing methods were compared, and future research topics were proposed.