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Micro and nano-plastics on environmental health: a review on future thrust in agro-ecotoxicology management

Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2025 1 citation ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
M. Chandrasekaran, Paramasivan Manivannan, Sajjad Ahmad

Summary

This review examines the growing body of evidence on how microplastics and nanoplastics affect plant health, soil microbial communities, and agricultural productivity. The study highlights that plastic accumulation in agricultural soils can alter crop growth and yield while disrupting soil ecosystem dynamics, and calls for greater attention to agro-ecotoxicology management to address these emerging threats to food production.

Body Systems

Microplastics and nanoplastics are addressed as emerging pollutants hindering plant and soil health, by and large. Accumulation, toxicity, and future impact necessitate dire attention in the present century owing to global health contexts. Plastic accumulation in plants not only affects plant growth and yield but can alter soil microbial community dynamics through its chemical interactions. Hence plant, soil and planet health need to be critically studied for creating awareness regarding environmental impacts. Further, the serious consequences that can affect agricultural production and productivity are summarized for impending repercussions and reverberations in agroecotoxicology. Potential limitations that can be explicitly considered in augmenting plant growth promotion and associated degradation strategies are foreseen to have large benefits for the farming community. Ecosystem dynamics about heavy metal toxicity, nano-pollution, and soil fertility management are discussed for holistic environmental management of Plastics upon plant and soil health. Future perspectives are concerned with interdisciplinary research prospects and stringent legal practices in the agricultural realm are accounted for possible mitigating strategies. Hence, the present review focusses in holistic management of MNPs agroecotoxicology for regulatory policies, bioremediation potentials, awareness and education. Environmental sustainability and pollution management will aid in potent waste management and circular economy prospects. A critical assessment incorporating global health perspectives affected by the holistic damage impeded by plastics is corroborated for holistic environmental impact analysis. The present review compiles the environmental microbiology perspectives on the effective management of plastics and associated deleterious outcomes. The review addresses the key questions enlisted: (1) How MNPs account for everlasting impacts in the environment?. (2) What are the consequences of MNPs upon plant probiotics and associated soil community microbial dynamics?. (3) What is the future of agro-ecotoxicology of MNPs?. (4) What are the implications of MNPs in augmenting plant growth through nutrient and biogeochemical cycling?. (5) How waste management of MNPs can enrich global policies, awareness and circular economy?.

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