Identification and Source Apportionment of Heavy Metal Emission Sources in Airborne Microplastics over Plastic-Mulched Agricultural Fields Using Positive Matrix Factorization انتشار فلزات سنگین
Irtiqa Imini Pishgiri Masdumiyat (Safety Promotion and Injury Prevention),
Vol. 13 No. 2 (1404),
11 Tir 2026
,
Page 20-33
https://doi.org/10.22037/iipm.v13i2.52136
Abstract
Background and Aim: The aim of the present study was to identify and quantify the contribution of emission sources of heavy metals associated with atmospheric microplastics in plastic-mulched agricultural fields of the Dasht-e Azadegan Plain using the PMF model.
Methods: This study was conducted in the Dasht-e Azadegan Plain during 2024. Active sampling was performed using a systematic grid-based approach comprising 35 plastic-mulched fields and five control stations located 10 km away, during winter and summer, with an SKC air sampler in triplicate. Particles were identified by optical microscopy, surface morphology was examined by SEM, and polymer types were determined by FTIR. Heavy metals (Ni, Zn, Mn, Pb, Fe, Cu, Cr, and Cd) accumulated on airborne microplastics were quantified using ICP-OES.
Results: The results showed that polyethylene (53.7%) was the dominant polymer in atmospheric samples from agricultural fields, and that airborne microplastic abundance was higher in winter than in summer. Heavy metal concentrations were consistently higher in agricultural than control sites, with Cu and Fe exhibiting the greatest surface accumulation. PMF model performance (R² = 0.73–0.96; Qrobust/Qtrue ≈ 1.16) indicated satisfactory model reliability. Local/regional dust was the major contributor to Fe (61.4%) and Mn (56.3%), whereas traffic emissions, agricultural activities, and agricultural plastic degradation were the primary sources of Pb (31.8% and 22.4%) and Zn (22.4% and 27.7%), respectively.
Conclusion: Extensive use of agricultural plastics not only contributes directly to the release of polymer particles into the atmosphere but also provides a significant pathway for the atmospheric transport and dispersion of heavy metals via airborne microplastics.
- Heavy metals
- Microplastics
- Plastic-mulched cultivation
- Positive matrix factorization (PMF)
- Source apportionment
How to Cite
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