READ ME File For Datasets accompanying the thesis 'Microplastics in agricultural soils: Methods, Sources and Fate'

ReadMe Author: Freya Radford, University of Southampton, https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9742-279X

This dataset supports the thesis entitled 'Microplastics in agricultural soils: Methods, Sources and Fate'
AWARDED BY: Univeristy of Southampton
DATE OF AWARD: [2022]

*********************************************************************************************************************

DESCRIPTION OF THE DATA


'Dataset_Developing a systematic method for extraction of microplastics in soils'

	Data obtained as per Radford, 2022, Chapter 3

	This dataset contains:
	- Organic removal: Quantification of the efficency of three reagents (fentons, hydrogen peroxide and potassium hydroxide) at removing organic matter from soils at two temperatures (40 and 50 degrees) with and without the aid of dispersant (sodium hexametaphosphate).
	- Density separation: Quantification of the efficency of three reagents(zinc chloride, sodium chloride and canola oil) at separating microplastics(6 polymer types with varing shapes and sizes) from inorganic soils with varying particle size distrubution.
	- Method combination: Quantification of the efficency hydrogen peroxide as an organic matter removal technique with three reagents(zinc chloride, sodium chloride and canola oil) at separating microplastics(6 polymer types with varing shapes and sizes) from soils with varying organic matter content.
	- Impact of reagents: Quantification of the impact of all utilised reagents on varying microplastic particles measured as Hit Quality Index(HQI) using FTIR.

	Date of data collection: samples were collected, processed and analysed between 2018 and 2019

	Information about geographic location of data collection: Samples were processed in the University of Southampton



'Dataset_Agricultural soils and microplastics.Are biosolids the problem'

	Data obtained as per Radford, 2022, Chapter 4

	This dataset contains:
	- Blank corrected microplastic data as numbers(inlcuding per polymer type), mass and average length.
	- Number and mass of microplastics in blank samples.
	- Co-variate data including particle size data(sand, silt and clay), organic matter content, elemental composition (zinc, copper and nickel), distance from road and average gradient of fields.

	Date of data collection: samples were collected, processed and analysed between 08/19 - 12/21

	Information about geographic location of data collection: Samples sites were located in the River Test catchment area (Hampsire, UK)



'Dataset_Temporal variation in soil microplastic abundance related to biosolid application'

	Data obtained as per Radford, 2022, Chapter 5

	This dataset contains:
	- Blank corrected microplastic data as numbers(inlcuding per polymer type), mass and average length. Per replicate on each field across 5 sampling timepoints.
	- Number and mass of microplastics in blank samples.
	- Co-variate data including particle size data(sand, silt and clay) and organic matter content.

	Date of data collection: samples were collected, processed and analysed between 08/19 - 12/21

	Information about geographic location of data collection: Samples sites were located in the River Test catchment area (Hampsire, UK)


*********************************************************************************************************************


Related projects/Funders: This work was supported by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council funded Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Infrastructure Systems (‘Managing emerging pollutants in waste water systems’, grant number EP/L01582X/1); and Southern Water.


Date that the file was created: 09/22