Identification of microplastics extracted from field soils amended with municipal biosolids.

Microplastic particles in arable soil are expected to impact the environment and potentially human health. The application of municipal biosolids (MBs) to agricultural land presents a further dilemma in that biosolids act as a fertilizer for crop growth, and a disposal pathway for wastewater treatment plants. They are also a direct path for emerging contaminants, such as microplastics to enter the terrestrial environment.

Cerium oxide nanoparticles (nCeO) exert minimal adverse effects on microbial communities in soils with and without biosolids amendment.

Increased use of nano-cerium oxide (nCeO) in an array of industrial applications has raised environmental concerns due to potential increased loadings to the soil environment. This research investigated the potential adverse effects of nCeO (10-30 nm) on the soil microbial community in two exposure scenarios: direct application to soil, and indirect application to soil through chemical spiking of biosolids, followed by mixing into soil. Total Ce in test soils without, and with biosolids amendment, ranged from 44 to 770, and 73 to 664 mg Ce kg soil, respectively.

Ecotoxicological effects of copper oxide nanoparticles (nCuO) on the soil microbial community in a biosolids-amended soil.

This study represents a holistic approach in assessing the effects of copper oxide nanoparticles (nCuO) on microbial health and community structure in soil amended with municipal biosolids. The biosolids were amended with nCuO (<50 nm) and mixed into a sandy loam soil at measured Cu concentrations of 27, 54, 123, 265 and 627 mg Cu kg soil. A suite of tests were used to assess the potential impact of nCuO on microbial growth, activity, and diversity.

The toxicity of silver to soil organisms exposed to silver nanoparticles and silver nitrate in biosolids-amended field soil.

The use of engineered silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) is widespread, with expected release to the terrestrial environment through the application of biosolids onto agricultural lands. The toxicity of AgNPs and silver nitrate (AgNO ; as ionic Ag ) to plant (Elymus lanceolatus and Trifolium pratense) and soil invertebrate (Eisenia andrei and Folsomia candida) species was assessed using Ag-amended biosolids applied to a natural sandy loam soil. Bioavailable Ag in soil samples was estimated using an ion-exchange technique applied to KNO soil extracts, whereas exposure to dispersible AgNPs was verified by single-particle inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry and transmission electron microscopy-energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis.