The results, therefore, suggest that the soil type and pH of the solution can critically alter the movement of nanoplastics in the soil.

Interestingly, the difference between conventional and organic farming has less of an influence. In both types of agricultural systems, a lot of variation is found in soil tillage and management.

Tilling the soil and leaving it bare for the fall, winter and spring increases soil erosion and boosts the growth of oxygen-loving microbes that consume soil-organic matter, releasing more nitrate.