MinagrisEU - Impacts of plastic debris on soil health
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minagriseu.bsky.social
MinagrisEU - Impacts of plastic debris on soil health
@minagriseu.bsky.social
Horizon-funded project exploring the impacts of microplastics & nanoplastics on agricultural soil & soil organism health and the viability of alternatives to plastic in farming. #plastics #soilhealth #horizon2020 #farming #microplastics
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MinagrisEU has joined Bluesky! Follow us to discover the science of micro/nano-plastics on #soilhealth. We'll be posting about our findings over the next two years, and exploring what viable alternatives there are to plastic in agricultural settings.

#plastics #farming #agriculture #soilscience
Across 11 study sites in 6 biogeographical regions of Europe, MINAGRIS is working with farmers, advisors and scientists to understand how agricultural plastics and other contaminants affect soils, crops and ecosystems.

#Agriculture #Sustainability #MINAGRIS #HorizonEU #Plastic #Research #Europe
November 13, 2025 at 1:24 PM
Microplastics aren’t just in the ocean, they’re in our soil all around us too.
Researchers from Lancaster University have found that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils is steadily increasing.

#Microplastics #MINAGRIS #Sustainability #Environment #ClimateChange #FoodSecurity #HorizonEU
November 11, 2025 at 10:30 AM
We spoke to Wolfgang Palme about the feasibility of using alternatives to plastics in agriculture. It's an interesting listen, showing that innovation will be necessary.

#farming #soilhealth #plasticpollution
Vienna City Farm Wolfgang Palme
During the MINAGRIS annual plenary in October, we visited Augarten City Farm in the heart of Vienna, Austria. Julie Ingram, Professor of Innovation for Sustainable Agriculture at the Countryside and…
youtu.be
October 30, 2025 at 10:43 AM
We are looking people people across Europe to sign up to our SoilPlastic app to report sightings of plastic in soils.

Want to know what that involves before you download? Watch the video below 👇

#soilscience
October 28, 2025 at 10:43 AM
Over the next year, MINAGRIS will be producing all of its final research results, helping us understand much more about the impacts of micro- and nanoplastics on agricultural soils. Sign up to our monthly newsletter you will be the first to know what we are doing and learning: buff.ly/z9YZUay
October 21, 2025 at 9:43 AM
A new exhibition in Venice, called Breathtaking, features public figures wrapped in plastics, symbolically showing the suffocation of the oceans and the life within it by plastic pollution.

Read more about the exhibition here: buff.ly/NzF4OmU

#microplastics
October 16, 2025 at 9:43 AM
MINAGRIS was represented at the Joint International Conference of MikroBioKosmos Society & CEESME last month by Stathis Lagos and Eleni Lamprou in September.

It's fantastic to see our researchers hard at work sharing new research to audiences across Europe 👏👏👏

#mbkceesme2025 #soilscience
October 14, 2025 at 9:43 AM
A review of available scientific data has revealed that far from plastic being an 'inert' material, the level of additives/chemicals in plastics is causing problems across the globe.

Read the journal article here: buff.ly/i3X6Wgi and a short summary article here: buff.ly/SV5maeX
October 9, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Last week MINAGRIS held its fourth General Meeting in Vienna. The main takeaways? Some great research is emerging on plastics and soil microbiome, plastics in real-world farming conditions, and what to do at the policy and practice level.

Here are the assembled troops of committed scientists 🔬🧪💪
October 7, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Reposted by MinagrisEU - Impacts of plastic debris on soil health
At the 4th General Assembly of @minagriseu.bsky.social, the #SoilPlastic #CitizenScience App was also in focus: a mobile App for documenting plastic waste on agricultural fields: www.spotteron.net/apps/horizon...

#HorizonEurope #Soil #Microplastics #Nanoplastics #Agriculture
October 2, 2025 at 11:56 AM
The FAO has published a major new report on the state of agricultural soils. #Microplastics can change the properties of soil and get into plants via root systems, say the authors.

#soilscience

Read our summary with links to the full report: buff.ly/GWdfvsl
October 2, 2025 at 9:43 AM
In our new blog, we explore what happened at the talks, why plastic pollution is contributing to transgressing planetary boundaries, and the five things a coalition of the willing (that's you, too!) can do to create a critical mass for change. buff.ly/czdIbbf

#microplastics #globalplasticstreaty
What do we do now after Global Plastics Treaty talks failed to reach an agreement? | Minagris
By Ildiko Heim and Deborah Talbot
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September 30, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Do you want to help us by doing some citizen science?

We launched the SoilPlastic app to help us track plastic sightings in soils, and we hope to tell a story about the extent of plastic waste in our soils.

Download the app now - buff.ly/0OZT8Zu - and make a difference. See how it works 👇
September 25, 2025 at 9:43 AM
In case you missed it, here's our fifth MINAGRIS briefing, covering the potential for global plastics policy development, an interview with Giulia Carcasci from the FAO, and everything we've been up to 2024-5.

Find it here: buff.ly/gCXu1Ll

#microplastics #soilscience #horizoneurope
September 23, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Investigating the impact of microplastics in combination with common farm chemicals is a lot of work. Here are Esperanza Huerta Lwanga and Nicolas Beriot are doing field work in the Netherlands. Let’s give them a massive thanks for all the work they do!

#soilscience
September 18, 2025 at 3:15 PM
Industrial societies have produced over 100 million novel entities, with anywhere between 35,000 and 400,000 currently in use (Guardian). Their prevalence has exceeded planetary boundaries into the risk zone.

Read the full report from Deep Science Ventures: buff.ly/28hCxgc
September 16, 2025 at 9:43 AM
A new study has shown that humans can inhale as much as 68,000 microplastic particles daily. Smaller particles can find their way into many parts of our bodies, affecting our health, the soil and ecosystems.

Read the article below 👇
Humans inhale as much as 68,000 microplastic particles daily, study finds
Particles are small enough to burrow into lungs, says report, with health impacts ‘more substantial than we realize’
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September 11, 2025 at 3:15 PM
What happens to a soil organism, Springtails, when different types of #microplastics are combined with common farm chemicals? The results show that biodegradable plastics are not as harmless as they seem.

Read our factsheet here: buff.ly/RitNwAt

#soilscience
September 9, 2025 at 9:43 AM
Biodegradable plastic film (PBAT) is often posed as an alternative to conventional plastics for agricultural use. But how does it affect soil and plant growth?

Here's what research supported by MINAGRIS found: buff.ly/tFBSKY5

#soilscience
September 3, 2025 at 3:17 PM
What are the effects of #plastics, and the chemicals it contains, on human and planetary health? The Lancet is planning to track this through their Countdown on Health and Plastics.

Read more about this important initiative here: buff.ly/zaOHmYS
August 27, 2025 at 3:15 PM
The latest failure of the #GlobalPlasticsTreaty is disappointing but not unexpected - the latest example of the collapse of the multilateral order, the political polarisation of sustainability agendas and the consequent spread of misinformation.

What can we do? See below 👇
August 20, 2025 at 3:15 PM
This sweeping French scientific review shows how microplastics are affecting agricultural soils and argues for a shift of thinking away from recycling towards prevention and the development of viable alternatives.

Read the summary and full report here: buff.ly/flwJFDp
August 13, 2025 at 9:43 AM
The #microplastic journey...through water, soil, what we eat, in our bodies, and more 🍎🥕🥬.

This article from The Guardian tells the story of how #plastic moves through ecosystems from a simple act like washing an acrylic jumper. Read more here:
The life of microplastic: how fragments move through plants, insects, animals – and you
Microplastics have been found in the placentas of unborn babies, the depths of the Mariana Trench, the summit of Everest and the organs of Antarctic penguins. But how do they travel through the…
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August 6, 2025 at 9:15 AM
❓ How do #microplastics affect soil invertebrates - earthworms, woodlice, spiders, springtails, mites, and some insects 🪱🐛🕷️

Research shows it makes them sick, gives them inflammation, gut damage, affects their immune system and more.

Read more here:
How Soil Invertebrates Deal With Microplastic Contamination
Small animals living in soils, called soil invertebrates, represent a very diverse group of soil inhabitants. They include earthworms, woodlice, spiders, springtails, mites, and some insects. Soil…
buff.ly
August 1, 2025 at 9:15 AM
We assume that #biodegradable #plastics are better for the soil, but are they? This article reveals negative impacts on soil nitrogen levels. MINAGRIS is considering the benefits against risks, and also factor in action at every stage of the lifecycle of plastics.

#soilscience
Biodegradable microplastics may actually be worse for soil and plants
Biodegradable plastic that gets broken down into microplastics may decrease soil nitrogen levels more than conventional ones, which stunts plant growth
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July 25, 2025 at 9:07 AM