Release and vertical migration behavior of typical microplastics from sewage sludge organic fertilizer applied in public green spaces

WU Bi; WU Zheng; HUANG Tao

doi:10.13205/j.hjgc.202607015

Volume 44 Issue 7

Jul. 2026

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WU Bi, WU Zheng, HUANG Tao. Release and vertical migration behavior of typical microplastics from sewage sludge organic fertilizer applied in public green spaces[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 143-155. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607015

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WU Bi, WU Zheng, HUANG Tao. Release and vertical migration behavior of typical microplastics from sewage sludge organic fertilizer applied in public green spaces[J]. ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING , 2026, 44(7): 143-155. doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607015

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Release and vertical migration behavior of typical microplastics from sewage sludge organic fertilizer applied in public green spaces

doi: 10.13205/j.hjgc.202607015

WU Bi¹,
WU Zheng²,
HUANG Tao^{1
,
,}

1. School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southwest Jiaotong University, Chengdu 611756, China;
2. School of Emergency Science, Xihua University, Chengdu 610039, China

Received Date: 2026-02-11
Available Online: 2026-09-01

Abstract

Abstract

The issue of microplastic pollution is becoming increasingly severe. Soil serves as a major sink for microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems， and its pollution situation is closely associated with the application of sewage sludge organic fertilizer. In this study， polypropylene （PP） and polyethylene （PE）， two common microplastics in sewage sludge organic fertilizer， were selected as target objects. Based on the rainfall characteristics in Chengdu， indoor simulation experiments were conducted to investigate the release and transport patterns of microplastics in unsaturated porous media. The results showed that under six months of simulated rainfall， the release rate of PE （26.1±1.8）% at the addition level of 0.2%（weight ratio）， with a size of 20 to 40 μm， was significantly higher than that of PP （16.4±1.3）%. The highest release amount was observed for the 40 to 60 μm particle size， while excessive microplastics abundance tended to induce its aggregation， thereby inhibiting the release. A 24-month simulated transport experiment revealed that the transport capacity of PE was significantly higher than that of PP， with the peak transport occurring between 14 and 18 months， and the strongest transport capacity was observed for the 40 to 60 μm particle size. Environmental factors significantly regulated the transport of microplastic particles： transport capacity increased with the rising pH， while the promoting effect of sludge leachate on transport diminished under alkalic conditions； it decreased with increasing electrolyte concentration， with the inhibitory effect of sludge leachate got enhanced under high EC； and a non-linear response to organic matter concentration was observed， characterized by promotion at low concentrations and inhibition at high concentrations. This study provides data support and a theoretical reference for preventing and controlling microplastic soil pollution in public green spaces.
- microplastics,
- sewage sludge organic fertilizer,
- unsaturated medium,
- sewage sludge organic fertilizer leachate,
- release,
- vertical migration

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References(39)

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