PROLAND - Protecting agricultural lands from plastic pollution
PROLAND addresses the sources of plastic pollution in agricultural soils. In the project, four important sources that may add plastic pollution to farm soils will be investigated: sewage sludge, compost and biogas digestate, the use of agricultural plastics, and atmospheric deposition. Concentrations of plastic, the types of plastic polymers, and plastic-associated chemicals will be quantified in agricultural soils from different areas of Norway. Assessments of what risks the microplastics, plastic additives, and pesticides may pose to soil ecosystems will be considered. Various exposure and mobility studies will be carried out in the laboratory.
- Project period
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- Funders
- The Research Council of Norway
- Total budget (NOK)
- 14,000,000
- External webpages
- facebook.com
- Research section
- International environment and development
- Contact persons
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Sissel Brit Ranneklev
Cecilie Baann
Karoline Slettebø Arvidsson
Line Johanne Barkved
Rachel Hurley
About the project
PROLAND is a collaboration and knowledge project. In order to co-create the research with stakeholders, the project uses inclusive methods such as Design Thinking and Deep Dive analyses. Knowledge of the stakeholders' experiences and challenges with agricultural plastic will be obtained and utilised to create implementable and effective solutions. The main aim of the project is to reduce plastic pollution in agricultural soils of Norway, and beyond.
Work packages
Work package 1 is led by Rachel Hurley (NIVA). In the work package, four major sources of plastic contamination to agricultural soils will be addressed: sewage sludge, compost and biogas digestates, plastic products used in agriculture, and atmospheric deposition.
The following deliverables from WP 1 are expected:
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Data set showing sources of plastic in agricultural soil
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A map showing potential exposure to soils from the different sources
Work package 2 is led by Sissel Brit Ranneklev (NIVA). In this work package, the concentrations of microplastics and plastic-conveyed additives in agricultural soil will be quantified. The following deliverables from WP 2 is expected:
• Data set showing concentrations of microplastics and plastic polymers in agricultural soil
• Data set showing concentrations of various plastic-conveyed additives in agricultural soil
Work package 3 is led by Claire Coutris (NIBIO). In this work package, the major task is to investigate what happens to plastic in soil, to what extent different organisms in soil are exposed to microplastics, and the effects. Knowledge of exposure and toxicity is essential for assessing risk. The following deliverables are expected from WP 3:
• Overview of the mobility of microplastics and adsorbed pesticides and additives in different soil types
• Overview of factors that influence exposure to microplastics in selected soil organisms
• Comparative data for the toxicity of microplastics and adsorbed pesticides and additives towards different soil organisms
Work package 4 is led by Birgitta Ralston (BioRegion Institute). From NIVA, Cecilie Baann, Jannike Falk-Andersson, and Line Johanne Barkved are participating. The work package collects information about the challenges that stakeholders have with agricultural plastics. Stakeholders like farmers, regulators, non-profit organisations, industry, and recycling companies are active contributors. In the work package, a handbook based on Design Thinking and Deep Dive analyses will be prepared. The methods described in the handbook aim to develop solutions for future reductions in plastic consumption, prevent plastic pollution in agricultural soil, and increase the circularity of agricultural plastics. The following deliverables from WP 4 are expected:
• Inventory of farmers experiences and challenges with agricultural plastics
• Workshop with users and stakeholders
• Development of a new method for user inclusion based on Design Thinking and Deep Dive
Work package 5 is led by NIVA and summarizes the project's communication work. Here, the internal project page, social media, as well as relevant forums such as Forum Landbruksplast and IKHAPP will be used for dissemination.