Effects of microplastics on interactions between soil biota, soil structure and crop performance in sewage sludge-amended soils

The aim of this PhD is to investigate the effects of MPs in BS on soil biota, soil structure and crop performance in BS-amended soils.

It will assess interactions between BS with various levels of MP contamination and soil organisms directly involved in maintaining soil structure (earthworms and symbiotic fungal partners of roots), under different arable land management practices, and how the latter affect the decomposition and mobility of MPs within the soil environment.

The project will combine controlled laboratory / greenhouse experiments with complementary field studies (at the University of Sheffield Arthur Willis Environment Centre (AWEC) and ICAIR facility).