Interactions Between Microplastics and Residual Herbicides in Soil: Sorption-Desorption, Absorption, Translocation and Weed Control Efficacy

• Grant number: 25/06699-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Post-Doctoral
• Start date: November 01, 2025
• End date: October 31, 2028
• Field of knowledge: Agronomical Sciences - Agronomy - Crop Science
• Principal Investigator: Kassio Ferreira Mendes
• Grantee: Alessandro da Costa Lima
• Host Institution: Centro de Energia Nuclear na Agricultura (CENA). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). Piracicaba , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Plastics are widely used in agriculture for the preservation, transport, packaging, and commercialization of agricultural products. However, agricultural activities represent a major source of plastic residues in soil, including microplastics (MPs), which pose significant ecological risks, such as harm to soil biota and increased concentrations of organic pollutants. Interactions between MPs and residual herbicides-such as propisochlor, metribuzin, and indaziflam-may alter herbicide behavior, reduce efficacy, and compromise weed control. This project aims to investigate the effects of soil contamination with MPs on the performance of these herbicides, focusing on the processes of sorption-desorption, absorption, translocation, and weed suppression. Physicochemical characterization of MPs will be conducted, along with sorption-desorption assays, to evaluate the influence of MPs on herbicide dynamics. Additionally, studies on herbicide uptake and translocation in plants exposed to MPs will be performed. Understanding these interactions will support the assessment of microplastic-related impacts in agricultural systems and inform the development of more sustainable practices, such as the adoption of biodegradable plastics. The use of such materials may reduce the persistence of plastic residues in soil, mitigate environmental impacts, and promote sustainable agricultural production systems.