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Microplastics in agricultural soils: sources, soil–plant interactions, ecotoxicological effects and food security concerns
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This review pulls together existing research on how tiny plastic bits get into farm soil, through mulch, wastewater, and even air, and shows they can harm soil health and be absorbed by crops. Since plants can carry these particles into the parts we eat, this raises real questions about microplastics entering our food supply and affecting human health, though more long-term studies are needed to know the full impact.
The problem of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils is becoming a significant environmental concern due to its prevalence and potential effects on soil health, crop productivity, and food security. The sources, ecological routes, and ecotoxicology of microplastics within agroecosystems were thoroughly analyzed in this review. Plastic enters the soil system in various ways, such as plastic mulching systems, organic amendments, wastewater irrigation, and atmospheric deposition, and in the latter case, it generates long-term accumulation and sustainability of microplastics. The presence of microplastics alters the physicochemical properties of the soil, disrupts microbial communities and nutrient cycling, thereby affecting soil function. Moreover, plant systems can absorb microplastics through a series of routes and transport them to aerial structures, which may raise concerns about their entry into the food chain and their consequences for human health. A distinguishing feature of this review is its integrated soil–microplastic–microbe–plant perspective, linking microplastic sources and fate with soil functioning, microbial processes, plant uptake and translocation, crop productivity, and food-security concerns. It further adopts a systems-level approach by examining interactions among soil properties, rhizosphere processes, microplastic mobility, co-contaminants, and plant responses, while identifying key methodological and field-scale limitations relevant to agricultural risk assessment. Further, critical gaps in knowledge, such as the necessity of long-term field studies, standardized detection procedures, and a more comprehensive understanding of microplastic behavior in realistic environments, are outlined. To overcome these issues, it is critical to address them in order to develop effective mitigation measures and sustainable agricultural production in the context of growing plastic pollution.
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Micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soils: Assessing impacts and navigating mitigation
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This review summarizes how tiny plastic particles from plastic mulch films and treated sewage end up in farm soil, where they can harm soil health, change how water moves through dirt, and interfere with plant growth. Because these plastics can be absorbed by crops, there is a potential pathway for microplastics to reach humans through the food we eat.
Micro- and Nanoplastics in Agricultural Crop Systems: From Environmental Particles to Plant Phenotypes and Food-System Relevance
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Tiny plastic particles from mulch films, compost, and irrigation water are building up in farm soils, and this review pulls together existing research on how they affect crops—from stressing plant cells to potentially moving into the parts we eat. The evidence that plastics can travel from soil into food is growing but still incomplete, so scientists say more realistic farm-based studies are needed before we know exactly how much this matters for what ends up on our plates.
Impact of microplastics in agriculture
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This review paper pulls together existing research on how tiny plastic particles (microplastics) end up in farm soil — often through fertilizers, irrigation water, and plastic mulches used to grow crops. These plastics can harm soil health, disrupt nutrients, and affect the small creatures that keep soil fertile, which may ultimately impact the crops and livestock that end up on our plates. The findings matter because they suggest microplastics could be quietly working their way into our food supply, though more research is needed to understand exactly how this affects human health.
Microplastics in the agricultural soils: Pollution behavior and subsequent effects
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This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics accumulate in farmland through fertilizers, irrigation, plastic mulch, and atmospheric fallout. Microplastics change soil structure, harm beneficial microbes, and can be taken up by crops, moving through the food chain to humans. The authors emphasize that more research is needed to understand the long-term health risks of eating food grown in microplastic-contaminated soil.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: An Emerging Threat to Soil Health, Microbial Ecology, Crop Productivity, and Food Safety
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This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt soil microbial communities, harm plant health, and potentially enter the human food chain. The study highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address this growing but often overlooked form of pollution in farmland.
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