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This book is an open access book on micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in soil and crop systems addresses a critical knowledge gap as plastic pollution increasingly infiltrates terrestrial ecosystems. It compiles the information on how MNPs enter agricultural systems through practices like plastic mulching, wastewater irrigation, and sludge application, offering insights into their long-term environmental effects. This book also highlights the potential disruptions MNPs cause to soil health, such as reduced fertility, impaired nutrient cycling and altered water retention. It also investigates their effects on crop growth, including their uptake by plants and the potential for these pollutants to enter the food chain, raising concerns about human health.
This resource is crucial for researchers, policymakers and agricultural practitioners, offering practical solutions to mitigate plastic contamination in farming. It provides evidence-based recommendations for sustainable agricultural practices and contributes to developing environmental policies aimed at reducing plastic pollution in soils, ensuring food security and protecting ecosystem health.
List of contents
Chapter 1. Microplastics in Soil: Inventories, Effect and Environmental Risks.- Chapter 2. Microplastics in crop systems.- Chapter 3. Sample Collection, Preparation and Identification of Microplastics in Soil Issues and Recommendations.- Chapter 4. A Simplified and Optimised Protocol for Microplastics Determination in Soil and Sludge Applied Soils.- Chapter 5. A Critical Perspective on Nanoplastics in Soil and Crop Systems.- Chapter 6. Sources of Microplastics in the Soil and Use of Laser Direct Infrared Imaging for Microplastic Detection.
About the author
Dr. Saif Uddin is a senior research scientist at the Kuwait Institute for Scientific Research, Kuwait. Dr. Saif has been working on microplastics since 2017, developing and harmonising methodologies for microplastics in different environmental matrices. He has developed a standard reference material for microplastics in soil and sediment samples. He has been actively involved in looking at contaminant turnaround in the environment, including microplastics and antibiotic resistance. He has published over 180 research papers in high-impact peer-reviewed journals. Dr. Saif is also an Honorary Director for the Centre for Environment and Ecology, ATINER, Greece.
Dr. Mohammad Zaman is working as a section Head of the Soil and Water Management and Crop Nutrition Section of the Joint FAO-IAEA Centre, working on developing climate-smart agricultural practices for enhancing food production and minimising land degradation and environmental sustainability using nuclear and related techniques. Before this, he worked for 22 years in GHG mitigations, enhancing soil fertility and integrated plant nutrient management at different research, academic, commercial and international organisations in both developing and developed countries. Zaman is the author and co-author of three books, several book chapters and over 65 research publications in refereed journals.
Summary
This book is an open access book on micro- and nano-plastics (MNPs) in soil and crop systems addresses a critical knowledge gap as plastic pollution increasingly infiltrates terrestrial ecosystems. It compiles the information on how MNPs enter agricultural systems through practices like plastic mulching, wastewater irrigation, and sludge application, offering insights into their long-term environmental effects. This book also highlights the potential disruptions MNPs cause to soil health, such as reduced fertility, impaired nutrient cycling and altered water retention. It also investigates their effects on crop growth, including their uptake by plants and the potential for these pollutants to enter the food chain, raising concerns about human health.
This resource is crucial for researchers, policymakers and agricultural practitioners, offering practical solutions to mitigate plastic contamination in farming. It provides evidence-based recommendations for sustainable agricultural practices and contributes to developing environmental policies aimed at reducing plastic pollution in soils, ensuring food security and protecting ecosystem health.
