Microplastics in soil and in soil aggregates, proposal of laboratory procedures for their extraction for further analyses.

Kamilla Mirtairova

Diplomová práce

Abstract:

Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems, especially in soil, have become an important environmental concern. Soil can act as a long-term sink for plastic particles, where microplastics may interact with soil structure and become associated with soil aggregates. However, the detection of microplastics in soil remains methodologically difficult because soil is a complex and heterogeneous matrix, and many existing procedures depend on costly equipment or intensive chemical treatment. This thesis aimed to verify a simple laboratory procedure for detecting microplastics in soil and soil aggregates under controlled conditions. A literature review was carried out to evaluate current methods used for microplastics separation and detection in soil. Based on this review, a simplified experimental procedure was designed under laboratory conditions. Soil was mixed with added microplastics and planted to support biological activity and aggregate formation. After the growing period, soil samples were collected from different zones, dried, sieved into aggregate fractions, stained with Nile Red, and observed under UV light. The results showed that fluorescent particles could be visually detected in the processed soil samples, confirming the practical applicability of this simplified approach for qualitative identification of microplastics in soil aggregates. The study provides a basic methodological framework for further refinement of accessible laboratory procedures in terrestrial microplastics research.

Keywords

Microplastics, Soil aggregates, Nile Red staining, UV detection, Soil methodology, Qualitative identification

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 3. 4. 2026

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Obhajoba proběhla 18. 5. 2026
• Vedoucí: Dr. Ing. Ing. Miroslav Kravka
• Oponent: Muhammad Merei, Ing.

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta životního prostředí

Magisterský studijní program:
Landscape Planning