Comparison of Microplastic Characteristics in Mulched and Greenhouse Soils of a Major Agriculture Area, Korea

Soil microplastic (MP) contamination through plastic mulch and greenhouse soils is a global concern. However, whether plastic mulch contaminates the soil to a greater or lesser extent than the contamination caused by building greenhouses with MPs has not been documented. This study is the first to examine and compare the abundance and distribution of MPs in greenhouses and mulched soils of Korean agriculture field to obtain the polymer types and sizes of MPs present. The MP abundances in the greenhouse and mulched soils ranged from 50 to 379 and 158 to 943 particles kg − 1 , respectively, with an average abundance of 221.4 and 356.8 particles kg − 1 . No significant differences (p > 0.05) were observed in soil MP contamination between the greenhouse and mulching sites. At both sites, fragments (91%) were the predominant MP shape. MPs with a size