Join us Friday, April 28 for “Biodegradable Agricultural Plastics and Their Impact on Soils and the Environment,” a presentation by Sean M. Schaefer, UT associate professor of biosystems engineering and soil science, at noon via Zoom.

The evolving concern for plastic particles in agricultural soil relates to their reported or potential harm to plants and organisms, their impact on soil geochemistry and groundwater quality, and their ability to serve as vehicles for transport of pesticides. The use of biodegradable plastics in agriculture addresses some, but not all the concerns since particles still form and reside in soils for some time. In his presentation, Professor Schaefer will present examples of how biodegradable plastics impact soils and describe current projects to assess the fate and transport of plastic particles from terrestrial to aquatic systems.