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Mulching films are a potential source of microplastic pollution. Photo: François Molle/IRD CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 GenericFrançois Molle/IRD CC BY 2.0 DEED Attribution 2.0 Generic

Microplastics affect soil fungi according to drought conditions

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The impact of microplastics on the soil fungal community is affected by soil moisture content, a German study has found
Adding biosolids to conventional fertilizers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil quality, according to a Canadian study. Photo: Jeffrey Beall CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic Jeffrey Beall CC BY-SA 2.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic

New soil fertilizers can be made from pulp waste

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Adding biosolids to conventional fertilizers can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve soil quality, according to a Canadian study. A circular solution that is good for plants and the environment
Bioplastic films can be made from Panicum virgatum, a plant that biodegrade completely within 40 days with 30% soil moisture content. Photo: SEWilco CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 UnportedSEWilco CC BY-SA 3.0 DEED Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

Here’s how U.S. native prairie grass can be turned into bioplastics

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Researchers at South Dakota State University have made biodegradable bioplastic films from switchgrass, a weed capable of reaching significant heights that is widespread in North America's grasslands
In many cities in the United States and Canada, municipal waste incinerators were largely shut down in the 1970s in the face of growing concerns about air pollution. Photo: Fraser, Clayton B. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Public DomainPhoto: Fraser, Clayton B. Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540 USA Public Domain

Waste incineration leaves a heavy legacy in soils

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Where waste was once burned, higher concentrations of lead are detected in the soil, says research from Duke University. With obvious health consequences
Present in several products, including fire extinguisher foam, fluoride-based pollutants, so-called PFAS or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, are extremely difficult to dispose of. Photo: Brett Clashman, U.S. Air Force Public domainPhoto: Brett Clashman, U.S. Air Force Public domain

Ball milling cleans soil of persistent fluoride

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Researchers in New Zealand are testing a solution against fluoride pollution. The technique has made it possible to degrade per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) at the molecular level with 99.9 percent efficacy
Secondo la FAO la domanda globale di pellicole in plastica per uso agricolo raggiungerà quota 9,5 milioni di tonnellate nel 2030 contro i 6,1 milioni del 2018. Foto: Florian Gerlach Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)

Polyethylene mulches leave behind ‘negative effects for decades’

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L’ampio utilizzo delle pellicole da pacciamatura nelle colture di fragole si traduce nella dispersione di micro e macro frammenti di plastica nel suolo. Un fenomeno, rivela uno studio californiano, i cui effetti possono manifestarsi per decenni
The focus of scientists' interest is chitin, a substance that makes up 75 percent of lobster exoskeleton and is also contained in fungal and bacterial pathogens. Photo: Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)Aileen Devlin | Virginia Sea Grant Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)

US potatoes survive pests thanks to lobster shell

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Ground shells from lobsters can feed communities of beneficial microbes, creating a line of defense against soil pests. Researchers from University of Maine researchers offer a potential circular solution to safeguard the state's major crop. Which would also avoid tons of waste
The Patrica plant in Lazio is an example of the potential of the circular bioeconomy: Novamont has transformed a historic Italian chemical hub into a highly renewable biopolyester production centre, obtained from materials of vegetable origin. PHOTO: NovamontNovamont

Circular bioeconomy, biobased industries need specific codes

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Interview with Giulia Gregori, Strategic Planning and Corporate Communication manager of Novamont: "We will thus be able to enhance the contribution of biobased products to decarbonisation and soil protection"
Il compost è un fertilizzante naturale estremamente utile in agricoltura, che riduce l'uso dei prodotti chimici e valorizza la frazione umida dei rifiuti urbani (la cosiddetta FORSU). FOTO: Matteo Berlenga

Plastic, glass, metals: the “enemies” that dirty the compost

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The alarm emerges from a series of video interviews with managers of composting plants carried out by the italian Biorepack consortium. Too high percentages of "foreign fractions" (up to 12%) make it more difficult and expensive to make compost. On the other hand, compostable, flexible and rigid bioplastics were promoted with flying colors: "very useful for increasing quantity and quality of the final product"
Efficient sewage management can recover important soil nutrients. Photo: Christine Johnstone Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)Christine Johnstone Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)

New sewage management brings benefits to soil, EEA says

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A decentralized sewage treatment offers better opportunities for the development of circular solutions even for arable land, a European Environment Agency analysis says

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It’s beneath our feet but we never think about its value. We tread on it, we mistreat it, but a healthy, fertile soil means life. It’s time to take care of the soil and each one of us can and must make a difference.

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