Indicators of the formation of plastic microparticles in the soil and integrated evaluation of Polyethylene Mulching in native forest growth.

• Grant number: 24/04660-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate
• Start date: May 01, 2024
• End date: January 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Process Industries
• Agreement: BRASKEM
• Principal Investigator: Telma Teixeira Franco
• Grantee: Marina Campaner Fernandes
• Host Institution: Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energético (NIPE). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil
• Company: Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Núcleo Interdisciplinar de Planejamento Energético (NIPE)
• Associated research grant: 21/05251-8 - Proposal for the creation of the Plasticulture Engineering Centre, AP.PCPE

Abstract

Weathering/aging of plastics and their degradation is the result of the interaction of polymers with the environment, altering their mechanical, chemical or thermal properties by exposure to UV radiation and the atmosphere, which can also lead to the formation of microparticles of 5 mm or less - called microplastics. Microplastic is a growing environmental concern due to the potential adverse impact on soil and the organisms that depend on it and can favor the adsorption of pesticides and other pesticidesand other non-polar toxicants, which can infiltrate the food chain. Understanding how changes in the structure and components of PE films are related to the formation of microplastics is essential to drive their sustainable effectiveness. Therefore, this research project aims to investigate the physico-mechanical properties of PE films applied to agricultural soils over time and in parallel to the physical, chemical and biological characteristics of the soil where it is located.

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

FERNANDES, MARINA CAMPANER; LEITE, LORENA MARCELE DE FARIA; DA COSTA, MARCIA RAQUEL FELIX; FREGOLENTE, LEONARDO VASCONCELOS; NOGUEIRA, GUILHERME PESSOA. Microplastics in the marine environment: Impacts, identification and treatments. BIORESOURCE TECHNOLOGY REPORTS, v. 29, p. 10-pg., 2025-02-24. (24/04660-0)