NMU Student Tests Upper Peninsula Soil for Microplastics
Northern Michigan University student Jacob Sommerville is testing farm soil for microplastics while working with local growers and MSU Extension.
Updated on Nov. 6, 2026 in Organic Food
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Northern Michigan University student Jacob Sommerville is conducting research on microplastic contamination in Upper Peninsula farm soil, working with farmers and MSU Extension. Some research suggests plastic contamination in agricultural soils may be four to twenty times that of oceans.
Why it matters
Farmers in the Upper Peninsula rely on plastics such as mulch film as alternatives to pesticides and herbicides, and to extend short growing seasons. Sommerville's work examines whether these organic techniques add microplastics to products grown in Michigan's northernmost farmland.
Mulch film is commonly used in place of fertilizer to grow organic products, and other sources of soil microplastics include some fertilizers, wastewater, and synthetic laundry fabrics. Biodegradable starch-based alternatives reportedly do not hold up in Upper Peninsula conditions.
The players
Jacob Sommerville
Sommerville is a Northern Michigan University student working with Upper Peninsula farmers and MSU Extension on soil microplastics research.
James DeDecker
DeDecker is director of the MSU Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, which supports agricultural research and outreach in the region.
The details
Sommerville tests farm soil for microplastics in collaboration with local farmers and MSU Extension, examining whether organic techniques add plastic particles to products. James DeDecker, director of the MSU Upper Peninsula Research and Extension Center, is part of the effort to understand the sources of soil contamination.
Timeline
November 6, 2026: Article published on microplastics research in Upper Peninsula soil.
Season Trajectory
Upper Peninsula growers depend on plastic mulch and film to lengthen short growing seasons, which makes the soil-contamination question central to the region's farming future. Research on agricultural plastics is still early, and its findings could shape how northern Michigan farms adopt organic methods.
Michigan growers who use mulch film or other plastics to extend the season may face questions about soil contamination in their own fields. Readers who buy Upper Peninsula produce can watch for findings from this research on whether organic techniques add microplastics to food.
The takeaway
Plastic use in farming can carry contamination that is easy to overlook, so growers and shoppers alike benefit from watching research on soil microplastics as it develops across Michigan.
Further reading
Explore more on Organic Food for context on how growers approach plastic use in organic production.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Uppermichiganssource.
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