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Micro- and Nanoplastics in Agri-Food Systems: Sources, Fate and Food Safety Implications
Summary
Plastic mulches, coated fertilizers, and compost used in farming are breaking down into tiny microplastic and nanoplastic particles that build up in soil, potentially getting absorbed by crops and moving up the food chain to us. This review of existing research finds that farmland may be one of the biggest hidden sources of plastic pollution, but scientists still don't know exactly how much ends up in our food or what it does to our health, mainly because there's no standard way to measure it yet. The takeaway: this is a real and growing concern worth watching, even though the exact risk to your dinner plate isn't fully mapped out.
The increasing use of plastics in agriculture has enhanced crop productivity, water-use efficiency, and food supply stability. Nevertheless, the ongoing degradation of agricultural plastics and waste-derived materials has resulted in the widespread occurrence of microplastics (<5 mm) and nanoplastics (<1 μm) in agricultural soils, raising concerns about ecosystem functioning, food safety and human health. This review was conducted using literature obtained primarily from Web of Science, Scopus and PubMed. Publications published between 2019 and 2026 were primarily included. In addition, selected landmark studies published before 2019 were incorporated when they provided foundational concepts, methodological frameworks, or highly cited evidence that remains essential for understanding the sources, fate, and impacts of micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural systems. The review synthesizes recent scientific evidence regarding the sources, environmental fate, biological interactions, and food-chain transfer of micro- and nanoplastics within agricultural and food production systems, tracing their movement from farm to fork. Major contamination pathways include agricultural plastic materials, organic amendments, polymer-coated agrochemicals and atmospheric deposition. Mechanisms governing transport, aging, plant uptake and trophic transfer are also discussed. Current evidence suggests that agricultural soils are among the largest terrestrial reservoirs of micro- and nanoplastics; however, substantial uncertainties remain regarding environmental concentrations, plant uptake under field conditions, and human health risks due to methodological limitations and the lack of standardized analytical protocols. Future research should focus on standardized monitoring methods, enhanced risk assessment frameworks, the development of biodegradable alternatives, and integrated mitigation strategies to reduce plastic contamination.