Abstract:

Plastic production and improper disposal have led to global pollution, with plastics accumulating in oceans since the 1970s and more recently recognized as soil pollutants. Plastics can degrade into smaller pieces known as mesoplastics (<25 mm), microplastics (MPs, <5 mm), and eventually nanoplastics (NPs, <1/0.1 µm). While the impact of MPs on soil and biota has been studied in recent years, research on NPs has been limited by technical challenges related to their tiny size. Therefore, current scientific literature calls for research articles and literature reviews on NPs in soils to pave the way for further research.

In this framework, the elaboration of comprehensive reviews covering diverse aspects about NPs in soils (e.g., occurrence, sources, transport, transformation, analytical methods, and ecological implications, among others) arises as a stimulating bibliographic project for early PhD students whose doctoral thesis deals with plastic pollution, soil health, cutting-edge analytical methodologies, and related topics. As PhD students must delve into the literature to prepare the proposed monographic work, they gain awareness of the challenges associated with NPs and the need for innovative solutions. This knowledge contributes to their academic development, sets the basis for further experimental work, and promotes a sense of environmental responsibility.

This communication deals with the implementation of a bibliographic project about NPs in soils in the context of a tutor-guided experience that can be easily used as a template for similar works with related topics. Thus, it can be addressed by PhD students in the area of Sciences anywhere in the world, both those in their first and last years, as long as the difficulty of the content may be adjusted.

Keywords:

Higher education, project-based learning, anthropogenic contamination, chemistry, edaphology.