Higher concentrations of microplastics in runoff from biosolid-amended croplands than manure-amended croplands

Abstract Land-applied municipal biosolids, produced from wastewater treatment sludge, contributes to microplastics contamination in agroecosystems. The impacts of biosolids on microplastic concentrations agricultural soil have been previously investigated, however, the potential for transport biosolid-amended croplands has not quantified. In this study, manure and were applied field plots, runoff was collected following natural precipitation events bacterial biofilm grow different morphologies investigated. Higher detected plots with land-applied biosolid comparison manure-amended control plots. Fibers fragments most frequently plastic runoff, correlated their decreased surface roughness. contribute U.S. waters quantified which is among first quantify nonpoint source adjacent production areas.