Plastics have become an integral part of modern agricultural practices. They offer numerous benefits that contribute to increased crop production, with mulching films, made from conventional polymers or biodegradable alternatives, being one of the most commonly used applications. However, their widespread use and improper management have led to a significant accumulation of plastics in soils. Over time, mulching films can degrade into micro- and nanoplastics (MNPs), which can accumulate in the environment or be taken up by biota, posing a potential risk to plant safety and human health. This contamination is particularly concerning as plastics and bioplastics contain chemical additives that can leach into the environment and food [1].

To better understand the risks posed by agricultural plastics to the environment and human health, further research is needed on the degradability of mulching films and the impact of released MNPs on the environment and food. The newly launched InPlasTwin project, funded by the European Union, aims to deepen our understanding of the environmental and food-related impacts of MNPs, particularly in the context of plastic and biodegradable mulching films used in strawberry cultivation. Through the collaboration of six partners from Slovenia, Greece, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, and Serbia, InPlasTwin investigates the generation of MNPs from mulching films under environmentally relevant conditions and studies the potential uptake of the released MNPs and plastic additives by strawberries grown in laboratory and small-scale field experiments.

The resulting MNPs will be characterized both quantitatively and qualitatively. In addition to various spectroscopic and mass spectrometric techniques, ICP-MS will be utilized for the analysis of inorganic plastic additives. The feasibility of single-particle ICP-MS for detecting MNPs will also be explored, along with the use of multidetector FFF coupled with ICP-MS for size separation and chemical characterization of MNPs.