plastic film covering 12% of china\'s farmland pollutes soil

China will expand its agricultural use of the environment.
Even if authorities try to curb soil pollution, plastic films will be destroyed to boost crop production, a government scientist said. Some 1.
45 million metric tons of polyethylene on the shaver
20 million hectares (
49 million acres)—
About half the size of California.
Farmland in China.
According to Yan Changrong, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences in Beijing, the use of translucent materials may exceed 2 million tons by 2024, covering an area of 22 million hectares.
Plastic film is becoming more and more popular as a covering for 12% farmland in China, as they capture moisture and heat and prevent weeds and pests.
These features can increase the yield of cotton, corn and wheat, while enabling crops to grow on a larger scale.
\"This technology can increase production by 30%, so you can imagine how much extra production we can get --
It can solve the problem of producing enough food and fiber, \"Yan said in an interview with the Office of the institute for environmental and agricultural sustainable development of the college.
The disadvantage is that the polypropylene film cannot be biodegradable and cannot be recycled frequently.
Potential cancer
Causing toxins to be released from plastic residues locally known as \"white contamination\" to the soil at a level of 60-to-300 kilograms (132-to-661 pounds)
Every hectare in some provinces.
Although polyethylene contamination occurs around the world, the threat is particularly serious for China, estimated by the government in 2014, where about the fifth piece of arable land contains toxins that exceed national standards.
It is regrettable that there is no viable alternative to polyethylene with the same agronomical advantage.
Yan said that means farmers have to continue using it to boost production and income, he said while browsing the slides showing pollution in northwestern Xinjiang.
This material enables the crop to grow in a dry and cold environment.
In Xinjiang, which accounts for nearly 70% of the country\'s cotton production, plastic covers are used in all cotton fields;
He said 93% of the country\'s tobacco fields are available.
Film reduced demand for 20-waterto-30 percent.
Solve the growing problem of food
In last May, China\'s State Council urged recycling of used films amid increasing soil pollution.
The National People\'s Congress is also the country\'s first legislative body for soil pollution laws.
The government is considering raising the minimum thickness of the covering to more than 0 of the current standard.
In last May, the Ministry of Environmental Protection said that to ensure they are stronger and easier to recycle ,.
China will also complete a nationwide survey of farmland pollution by 2018.
The Ministry of Agriculture said in May that \"white pollution\" has become an important issue as the country pursues more sustainable forms of food and fiber production.
The government\'s goal is that by 2020, 80% of polyethylene covers will be recycled in densely used provinces such as Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Gansu.
At present, the recovery rate is less than 66%.
The Ministry of Agriculture said that the residual plastic in the fields will destroy the soil structure, inhibit the growth of crops, and ultimately reduce production.
Pollution in some areas of Xinjiang is reducing cotton production, Qu Ruijing, deputy director of the China Circular Economy Association, said after a recent visit to Xinjiang.
Zhu Yong said that the plastic particles taken in will cause physical damage to the soil animal population, such as earthworms, which will help nourish the Earth.
Guan, who runs the Institute of Urban Environment in the southeastern city of Xiamen, the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
Burning plastic can cause air pollution, he said.
\"So far, film has no potential risks to food safety, but there should be rules and regulations to control the potential risks of pollution,\" Zhu said in an interview on Tuesday . \".
He suggested the use of agricultural subsidies to encourage the use of environmental alternatives.
However, recycling the old film will consume a lot of water and energy, because it is difficult
The Chinese representative of basf se said in an email response to the question that the film collected from the farm.
\"Why are we recycling old sheets?
The cost is higher than buying new ones, \"said Chen Lin, chairman of Xinjiang Tianye.
China\'s largest producer of polyethylene film, recycled plastic film is 10% more expensive than new products.
Scientists in Spain may have another answer: the wax worm.
Researchers at the Cantabria Institute of Biomedical and biotechnology showed in a study published in April that the larvae of the wax moth Galleria melonella were able to biodegrade polyethylene.
The biodegradable film is the best solution, BASF said, adding that it has been testing the use of its more sustainable alternative Ecovio in Xinjiang since 2012.
The product consists of compostable polymers and lactic acid, which can be degraded into water, biomass and carbon dioxide.
Still, the price of polyethylene is still a quarter and the government lacks incentives, which means Chinese farmers are reluctant to invest in biodegradable films, the company said.
In addition to the more expensive prices, biodegradable films are also less attractive because their heat stored in the soil is not as high as polypropylene, resulting in a decline in cotton production in Xinjiang, said Yan of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences.
However, these amounts are more inclined to reduce polyethylene when the cost of contamination is taken into account.
\"Considering the environment and the cost of recycling, biodegradable films may be feasible for some areas with serious pollution,\" said Weng Yunxuan . \" Secretary-General of the China Plastics Processing Industry Association\'s degradation Plastics Committee.
In order to increase crop production, China may have to rely on polyethylene film, Weng said. —