A Comprehensive Review of Plastics in Agricultural Soils: A Case Study of Castilla y León (Spain) Farmlands

Jorge Mongil-Manso (), Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta, Juan Manuel Trujillo-González, Ana San José Wery and Alexandra Díez Méndez
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Jorge Mongil-Manso: Forest, Water & Soil Research Group, Catholic University of Avila, 05005 Ávila, Spain
Raimundo Jiménez-Ballesta: Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Autonomous University of Madrid, 28049 Madrid, Spain
Juan Manuel Trujillo-González: Instituto de Ciencias Ambientales de la Orinoquia Colombiana ICAOC, Facultad de Ciencias Básicas e Ingeniería, Universidad de Los Llanos, Campus Barcelona, Villavicencio 500001, Colombia
Ana San José Wery: Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Catholic University of Avila, 05005 Ávila, Spain
Alexandra Díez Méndez: Faculty of Sciences and Arts, Catholic University of Avila, 05005 Ávila, Spain

Land, 2023, vol. 12, issue 10, 1-21

Abstract: Plastics, especially microplastics, are a diverse group of polymer-based particles, currently emerging as a global environmental threat—plastic pollution. An attempt was made to search for the presence of plastics in soils, particularly in a traditionally agricultural region such as Castilla y León (CYL). This study aimed to evaluate the use of plastics in agricultural soils in general, with an emphasis on CYL, by analyzing the present state and future perspectives on the addition of plastic waste to some agricultural soils in CYL. Surprisingly, many agricultural soils, including arable lands, irrigation, and especially greenhouse soils, receive plastic residues every day, which can lead to contaminants. By analyzing government data, we discovered that the volume of plastic waste from intensive agriculture is increasing (49,131 t in 2020) and that the current management system does not meet the needs of the sector. From this review, it can be inferred that plastics affect cultivated soils in CYL; this could affect both the economy and the soil itself and, by extension, the trophic food chain, food, and human health.

Keywords: microplastics; plastic greenhouse; plastic mulch; plastic nets; plastic waste (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q15 Q2 Q24 Q28 Q5 R14 R52 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jlands:v:12:y:2023:i:10:p:1888-:d:1255401

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