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Is microplastic in soil any worse than silicate sand? I mean once it's inert it's inert right? Probably not the best sub to ask this lol
Not the right sub, but entirely the right person to be asking this question to.
Like with most soil things, the answer is a mix beteeen "it's complicated' and "we don't know". This may sound like a cop out, but soil science didn't really take off until the 1940s (thanks Jenny), so it's a very new science. On top of that you have multiple disciplines (biology, mineralogy, chemistry, physics, and pedology itself) that tie into soil. Soil itself also has substantial spatial heterogeneity.
Short answer: I don't know.
Long answer: I don't know, but I suspect it might be more labile in soil.
Here is why:
First thing to consider is the chemical and biological resistance of the plastic. Generally plastics are pretty stable to degradation, but plasticizers are more biologically active and can have all kinds of nasty effects.
Stability will ultimately be determined by feedstock (type of plastic) climatic factors, soil chemistry (primarily pH), organic matter content (high OM -> possibly broader soil Ecosystem -> more chance of some weird soil microbe being able to break things down), and particle size (smaller particles break down faster).
Given that soils have more microbial activity (which can generate weak humic acids too - see podzolification), particle size of the plastics are sand sized or less, and that soils are generally in the pH 5-7 range, it's likely that they are more mobile and easily degraded versus inert sand. Whether this gets tied back up into soil organic matter is a whole other can of worms.
So yeah. Idk. I think so though.
If you're comparing micro plastic to just sand in terms of stability - sand is far more stable.
Oh wow thanks for the detailed answer! I guess the most likely answer is that it probably will degrade over a long time span, and during that time negative effects could happen.
Correct. It's a similar process to geochemical weathering of rocks, which can cause major issues in mining. In that case, the rocks often contain pyrite (sulphide minerals) which are fine if they aren't exposed to oxygen. When you dig up the rock, though it starts a chain reaction which results in low pH leachate, which can then make metals mobile.
As far as I know, silica doesn't break down into toxic compounds with exposure to weathering, UV radiation and time like plastic does. Microplastic doesn't just stay as it is
Yeah, check out the other detailed answers.
I believe it's really just like silicate sand. The problem with microplastics isn't actually the plastics itself. Plastics itself is chemically inert and therefore non-toxic. The problems are:
- Physical: larger junks can cause constipation of the digestive track, which is a problem for some sea animals.
- Chemical: Plastics often have additives that give them special powers, like blocking UV-light. These additives are often toxic, unfortunately. This is why producers nowadays try to minimize the use of additives in plastics. But still, they are there.