SOPLAS - MACRO- and MICROPLASTIC in Agricultural SOIL Systems


Principal Investigator:	prof. Peter Fiener
Department's Principal Investigator:	prof. Dr. Ing. Tomáš Dostál,
Co-operation:	Augsburg University Universitat Bonn Universida de Vigo Wageningen University BOKU Vienna Lancaster University ETH Zurich Durham University CSIC Spanish council of research Universite Catholique de Louvain Karlsruher Institut fur Technologie Universidade de Coimbra Wesseling BASF Bavarian research Alliance RSAG NWG Povodi Vltavy
Start:	2021-01-01
End:	2024-12-31
Research focus:	adapt and optimise existing tools to detect and quantify macro- and microplastic input into agricultural soils; improve understanding of the degradation mechanisms of conventional and biodegradable plastic, as basis of optimizing used plastic materials and identifying remediation pathways; determine the impact of microplastic on soil functions and soil health; identify pathways for microplastic export from agricultural soils to freshwater ecosystems; and analysis farmers’ and consumers’ willingness to reduce the input of plastic material into agricultural soils.

Research team members at the departement:

Plastics have become a key component of modern agriculture, both directly, through their use in production systems, such as greenhouse cover films and silage bags, and indirectly, such as through the application of sewage sludge or compost. However, we know almost nothing about the fate of this plastic and its impact on soil functions.

SOPLAS is a multi-disciplinary and intersectoral innovative training network of the European Commission under the Horizon 2020 programme (Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions). SOPLAS covers 14 interlinked PhD projects to train the future generation of experts in the plastic, soil and agriculture nexus.

The SOPLAS ETN addresses this critical knowledge gap, while delivering significant advances in understanding the plastic cycle within soil and supporting the development of environmental policies, agricultural practices and industrial opportunities related to mitigating the impact of plastics on the environment.