From February 13 to 16, an academic exchange conference focusing on the Sino-UK agricultural microplastics project was held enthusiastically in Colombo, the capital of Sri Lanka. This meeting injected strong momentum into the deep advancement of the project.

The project is led by Academician Zhang Fusuo and Professor Liu Xuejun from the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, in collaboration with Professor Davey Jones and Professor Dave Chadwick from Bangor University, UK, and has received strong support from the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF). The project team conducted a comprehensive and in-depth research discussion around the widespread use of agricultural plastics in developing countries globally and the major issues of green and sustainable development in agriculture.

Scholars and experts from China, the UK, Egypt, Sri Lanka, and other countries gathered together, including Professor Liu Xuejun and Associate Professor Wang Kai from the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Researcher Yan Changrong from the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, as well as renowned scholars and related team members from Bangor University, University of Bristol, Mansoura University in Egypt, and University of Peradeniya in Sri Lanka. They all participated in this project exchange conference and attended the International Conference on Micro/Nanoplastics and Human Health held concurrently.

During the meeting, Researcher Mojith Ariyaratne from the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, warmly welcomed the arrival of the experts, faculty, and students. Professors Davey Jones and Dave Chadwick gave a comprehensive introduction to the project and chaired discussions on the project's summary work and future cooperation directions. Professor Liu Xuejun and other experts also engaged in in-depth project discussions.

Among them, Associate Professor Wang Kai detailed the overall progress of the Chinese side of the project. Dr. Qu Kaijing, a doctoral student from the College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, explained the necessity and challenges of atmospheric microplastic research and shared the latest findings of atmospheric microplastic studies in the North China Plain. Researcher Yan Changrong demonstrated an application of a mulch film selector, which can recommend more suitable mulch film products based on the environmental conditions of the crop growing area. Meanwhile, Bai Runhao, a doctoral student from the Institute of Environment and Sustainable Development in Agriculture, Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, discussed the temporal evolution differences in abundance, size, and other characteristics of biodegradable and polyethylene mulch film microplastics entering the soil, as well as the feasibility of using neural networks to characterize the degradation stages of microplastics.

In addition, representatives from the UK, Sri Lanka, and Egypt also shared their respective work progress and achievements. Experts from various units also put forward targeted policy recommendations on the impact of the project, the current status of global and Chinese agricultural film usage, and the issues of macro/micro plastic pollution, and conducted friendly exchanges of opinions.

After the meeting, the participants visited experimental fields, atmospheric sampler devices, and biochar preparation facilities at the University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka, further deepening their understanding and knowledge of the related research of the project.