We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Agricultural Soils Containing Micro/Nanoplastics and Related Risks
Summary
This review surveys micro- and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils globally, examining input sources including plastic mulch films, irrigation water, sewage sludge, and compost, and assessing the risks MPs pose to soil organisms, plant growth, and food safety.
Micro/nanoplastics (MPs/NPs) are a major environmental problem, particularly in agricultural settings. These MPs/NPs are manufactured for various industrial processes or result from the degradation of bigger plastic objects. The soil quality can be compromised by the presence of MPs/NPs because they have the potential to alter soil structure, nutrient cycling, soil microbial properties, and water retention capacity. Subsequently, the security and sustainability of agricultural production are threatened by these MPs/NPs. Crops are exposed to MPs/NPs at the interfaces of the phyllosphere and rhizosphere. Consequently, MPs/NPs behaviour particularly in the phyllosphere and rhizosphere influences their accessibility to plants, bioavailability, and potential hazards. Therefore, concerns about interactions between MPs/NPs and soil-plant systems are growing. Thus research advances on terrestrial plant species have revealed that plants can absorb and transfer MPs/NPs to their aboveground tissues. MP/NPs exposure has had several negative consequences on the morphology and physiology of plants. Therefore, the chapter summarises MPs/NPs research advances in agro-systems. This chapter illustrates key environmental processes, and potential hazards focusing on the uptake, transport, and toxicity in soil frameworks.