Controlled-release fertilizers can spread microplastics on US cropland – study

Tiny bits of plastic can end up in water and soil at alarming levels, said lead author of University of Missouri paper

Fertilizers that shed microplastics are increasingly spreading on America's cropland, research shows, raising new worry about the soil contamination and safety of the US food supply.

A peer-reviewed University of Missouri paper found common types of controlled-release fertilizers are often encapsulated with plastic and can be so small that they could be considered microplastics. Those are designed to break down into even smaller pieces of plastic once spread in fields.