PhD. Topics
Institute of Hydrology
Topic
Influence of microplastics on heavy soils hydrophysical characteristics of the East Slovak lowland.
PhD. program
Year of admission
2024
Name of the supervisor
Ing. Branislav Kandra, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Fakulta záhradníctva a krajinného inžinierstva SPU
Annotation
At present, more than 350 million tons of plastics are produced annually in the world. Only a small part of this volume is recycled and the rest remains in the natural environment, including the soil. These are different types of polymers, which disintegrate to form particles of different sizes and shapes. In the case of microplastics, these are particles in the order of micrometers, which have been shown to have a negative effect on living organisms and the environment. Contamination of the soil environment by microplastics can occur in various ways, such as mulching, sewage sludge, irrigation with untreated water, floods, etc. The content of microplastics in the soil affects its physical, chemical and biological properties. The aim of the dissertation will be to analyze the influence of selected types of microplastics on the hydrophysical properties of soils (soil texture, volumetric and specific gravity of soil, porosity, hydraulic conductivity, moisture retention curves, etc.) representing the East Slovak Lowland.