Author(s): Torre, A. ; Gonçalves, L. ; Valente, Teresa Maria Fernandes ; Henriques, Renato F. ; Davim, J. ; Ferreira, J. G. ; Macedo, J. ; Pires, A. ; Silva, A. C. ; Marinho Reis, A. Paula
Date: 2025
Persistent ID: https://hdl.handle.net/1822/97399
Origin: RepositóriUM - Universidade do Minho
[Excerpt] The widespread use of plastic materials in intensive agriculture, including greenhouse covers and irrigation systems, raises increasing concerns regarding microplastic (MP) contamination in terrestrial ecosystems. This study aims to characterize and quantify microplastics in greenhouse agricultural soils in the Minho region of northern Portugal, an area of intensive horticultural production. The main objectives are to assess the presence, distribution, and characteristics of MPs in soil and to explore their potential environmental implications. Soil samples were collected from multiple greenhouses with varying crop types, durations of plastic use, and agricultural practices, using a stratified random sampling approach to ensure representativeness across sites. Sampling was performed using an auger to extract soil from the upper 0 20 cm of the profile, the zone most affected by agricultural activity and where plastic residues are most likely to accumulate. [...]
