In this POPUp Talk, organized by the CLOSECYCLE project, Caroline De Tender introduces the MiCoS project. In the MiCoS project, the University of Gent is focussing on the presence of microplastics in soils. After the first phase, the risks for plants and soils are investigated. In a third phase, they will line up the possibilities for risk reduction.
The University of Gent started in 2023 with the MiCOS project. The project focuses on microplastics in soils. For microplastics in water different methods are developed and knowledge and information is quite extensive. But for soils, both methods and information is minimal. The Micos Project consists of 3 phases:
1. Large scale measurements of microplastics in soils. In 240 Dutch and Belgian fields measurements are carried out. In the video Caroline Detender explains how measurements were carried out and which other measurements to see if they are related to microplastics.
2. Risks for plant and soil. This phase starts in 2025-2026.
3. Risk reduction.
Before the measurement could start, the method to measure was optimized. Compared to water, is measuring microplastics in soils very difficult. Because of interference with organic matter. That's why an intensive method was developed were more times of sieving were followed by pre-oxidation phases and separation.
After optimizing the method, 240 fields with different soil textures were measured. 5 locations per field; both borders and in the middle of the fields. Not only the existance of plastics was measured but also soil microbiome, nutrients, texture, penetration resistance and field observation. These parameters to see also if there are correlations visible.
