(Micro)plastics from erosion control engineering in China: Environment
pollution and prevention strategies
Abstract
(Micro)plastics are ubiquitous in our daily lives and are becoming a
global emerging pollutant with significant threat to ecosystem
sustainability. Within the field of soil erosion control engineering
(ECE) in China, a wide range of plastic products, such as plastic mesh,
planting bags, and plastic geocells, are extensively employed to stable
the topsoil and facilitate the restoration of disturbed land. In this
paper, we demonstrate the wide distribution of (micro)plastics in ECE
across varied landscapes in China, highlighting their relatively high
degradation rate induced by ultraviolet irradiation and mechanical
disturbance. Furthermore, (micro)plastics in ECE exhibit a propensity
for transport through soil erosion processes, thereby heightening the
pollution risk to aquatic ecosystems. While the presence of
(micro)plastics in ECE raises significant environmental concerns, there
could be straightforward and easily implementable preventive strategies.
These strategies include meticulous managing plastic usage during the
design and completion phases of ECE, replacing plastic materials with
biodegradable alternatives, and cleaning and retrieving temporary work
materials.