Pedosphere (4): 918--931, 2026
ISSN 1002-0160/CN 32-1315/P
©2026 Soil Science Society of China
Published by Elsevier B.V. and Science Press
| Microplastic behavior and distribution in a mulched agricultural soil under semi-arid climate: A case study from Morocco |
Khaoula EN-NEJMY1, Loubna EL FELS1,2 , Bouchra EL HAYANY1,3, Mohamed HAFIDI1 |
1 Laboratory of Water Sciences, Microbial Biotechnologies, and Natural Resources Sustainability, Unit of Microbial Biotechnologies, Agrosciences, and Environment, Centre National pour la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Labelled Research Unit No. 4, Faculty of Sciences Semlalia, Cadi Ayyad University, P. O. Box 2390, Marrakesh 40000 (Morocco);
2 Sustainable Materials Research Center, University Mohamed VI Polytechnic, Lot 660, Hay Moulay Rachid, Benguerir 43150 (Morocco);
3 Higher Institute of Nursing Professions and Health Techniques, Essaouira 44000 (Morocco) |
| ABSTRACT |
| Microplastic pollution has emerged as a major issue in the global environment. Nevertheless, there is still a considerable lack of knowledge about the occurrence and behavior of microplastics in agricultural ecosystems. This study aimed to present the first data on the quantification and characterization of microplastics in Moroccan agricultural soils. Microplastics were extracted from soil samples collected at three sites from an agricultural farmland using plastic mulching located in the Marrakech-Safi region, Morocco. Sampling was carried out at different depths in the topsoil (plough horizons, 0-30 cm). Following their extraction via density separation using zinc chloride (ZnCl2), microplastic particles were characterized in terms of their abundance, size, color, and morphology. The results showed that the abundance of microplastics ranged from 9.8×103 to 12.5×103 items kg-1 soil, with those of fibrous shapes being dominant and representing 71%-85% of the microplastics extracted. As depth increased, microplastic concentration decreased by 59%, 72%, and 70% at the mulched sites 1, 2, and 3, respectively, compared to 44% at the non-mulched site. In the deepest soil layer (20-30 cm), small particles (0.1-1 mm) were the most abundant, representing 80% at site 1, 87% at site 2, and 86% at site 3. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed the presence of 4 types of microplastic polymers: polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate. The predominant polymer type was PE (78%), followed by PP (11%). Our results suggest that the plastic mulch can be a relevant source of microplastics in the terrestrial environment, and further in-depth research is required to investigate the migration potential of these pollutants. |
| Key Words: contamination,plastic mulch,pollution,polyethylene,polypropylene,polyvinyl chloride,terrestrial ecosystem |
| Citation: En-Nejmy K, El Fels L, El Hayany B, Hafidi M. 2026. Microplastic behavior and distribution in a mulched agricultural soil under semi-arid climate: A case study from Morocco. Pedosphere. 36(4): 918-931. |
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