Microplastics in our environment have been a concern for quite some time. These tiny 5mm pieces of plastics are everywhere, from the highest to the lowest points of the Earth. Most of the concern around microplastics is focused on ocean contamination.

Anywhere from 93,000 to 236,000 tons of microplastics end up in the ocean each year. Unfortunately, while we talk about the microplastics in the ocean, anywhere from 107,000 to 730,000 tons of microplastics are dumped onto agricultural soils in Europe and the U.S each year.

Related: Why Composting is the Most Important Thing You Can Do for the Environment

Microplastics end up on farmland through processed sewage sludge, plastic mulches, slow-release fertilizers, and protective coating on seeds. In fact, many of the microplastics ending up in the ocean are land-based, coming from agricultural areas.

Research conducted by Mary Beth Kirkham has shown that microplastics affect the way the plants grow significantly. Plants grown with microplastics have higher levels of cadmium contamination. Cadmium is a carcinogen found in the environment due to human activity. It comes from batteries, car tires, and is naturally occurring in the phosphate rock used to make agricultural fertilizers.

Sixteen days into Kirkham’s microplastics and cadmium experiment, her plastic-treated wheat plants began to yellow and wilt. Water had been pooling on the top of the soil in the plastic treated plants, but to keep her experiment consistent, she had to give all the plants the same amount of water.

There is an Alarming Amount of Microplastics in Farm Soil—and Our Food Supply

Related: How to Detox From Plastics and Other Endocrine Disruptors

A new study done by the University of Queensland shows how bad the pesticide mixture problem is, in the first comprehensive analysis of the pesticide mixtures in rivers and creeks that discharge into the Great Barrier Reef.

Image credit: Force Change

Professor Michael Warne, a researcher at UQ’s School of Environmental Sciences, analyzed 2,600 water samples from 15 different waterways that discharge into the Great Barrier Reefs, over a four-year time span.

The data showed pesticide mixtures in 99.8% of the samples collected, with as many as 20 different pesticides in one sample. The more individual pesticides in a sample, the more detrimental the pesticide mixture is to the aquatic ecosystem. The results of the study further encourage the Reef 2050 Water Quality Improvement Plan.

Recommended: How To Heal Your Gut

Dr. Warne said the best way to address the problem of pesticides and pesticide mixtures in run-off was to work with land managers, share information and help them to improve their pesticide management practices.

“We are doing just that with other partners including Farmacist, James Cook University and the Department of Environment and Science through Project Bluewater which is funded by the Great Barrier Reef Foundation,” he said.

Pesticide mixtures a bigger problem than previously thought

The study found that pesticide runoff was generally the worst in areas where sugar cane was being grown. As a result of these findings, the researchers are working with sugar cane farmers to improve pesticide management and application through upgraded equipment as well as reduce overall pesticide usage while switching to lower risk pesticides.