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Biochar for a Plastic Planet: Unveiling Its Potential to Transform Microplastic-Contaminated Soils
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This review summarizes lab studies on biochar, a material made by heating plant or waste matter, as a soil additive for trapping microplastics and reducing their harmful effects on soil. Results varied depending on the biochar type and soil conditions, and researchers note that field testing and standardized measurement methods are still lacking.
Microplastic (MP) contamination in agricultural soils has emerged as a critical environmental concern, yet remains comparatively underexplored relative to aquatic systems. MPs can alter soil structure, reduce porosity, disrupt microbial functions, and impair nutrient cycling, while also acting as vectors for co-contaminants such as heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Biochar, a carbon-rich material produced through biomass pyrolysis, has gained increasing attention as a potential amendment for mitigating these impacts via reducing the mobility and bioavailability of MPs through adsorption, immobilization, and improvement of soil physicochemical properties. This review synthesizes peer-reviewed studies published between 2020 and 2025, retrieved from Web of Science, Scopus, and Google Scholar using systematic keyword combinations, with emphasis on laboratory experiments and limited field-scale investigations. Comparative analysis indicates that biochar performance varies significantly with feedstock type, pyrolysis temperature, soil properties, and microplastic polymer characteristics, influencing its effectiveness under different environmental conditions. Particular attention is given to conventional biochars and engineered variants (e.g. magnetized and functionalized biochars) for their role in microplastic retention and soil function recovery. Despite promising laboratory-scale findings, major limitations persist, including inconsistent biochar performance under field conditions, limited long-term validation, and the absence of standardized protocols for microplastic detection in soils. These constraints highlight the need for integrated remediation approaches, robust experimental designs, and supfportive policy frameworks. This review identifies critical knowledge gaps and outlines future research priorities to support the development of sustainable and scalable biochar-based strategies for managing microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils.
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Addressing the Microplastic Dilemma in Soil and Sediment with Focus on Biochar-Based Remediation Techniques: Review
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This review examines how biochar, a carbon-rich material made from organic waste, can be used to remediate microplastic-contaminated soils and sediments. Researchers found that biochar can adsorb microplastics and reduce their mobility, while also improving overall soil health and microbial activity. The study highlights biochar-based approaches as a cost-effective and environmentally friendly strategy for addressing microplastic pollution in terrestrial environments.
Applications of biochar in the remediation of soil microplastic pollution: A review
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Researchers reviewed the use of biochar as a tool for remediating microplastic-contaminated soil. The study found that biochar application shows promise for addressing soil microplastic pollution by altering soil properties in ways that can reduce microplastic mobility and mitigate their negative effects on soil structure, plant growth, and biogeochemical cycling.
Advances and prospects of biochar in improving soil fertility, biochemical quality, and environmental applications
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This review examines how biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste, can improve soil health and clean up pollutants including microplastics. Biochar's ability to absorb and trap contaminants makes it a promising tool for reducing microplastic pollution in agricultural soil. The findings suggest biochar could help limit the amount of microplastics that enter the food chain through crops grown in contaminated soil.
Biochar alters chemical and microbial properties of microplastic-contaminated soil
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Researchers found that biochar amendments improved chemical and microbial properties of microplastic-contaminated soil, with effects varying by biochar type and water conditions, suggesting biochar as a potential remediation tool for plastic-polluted agricultural soils.
The Removal and Mitigation Effects of Biochar on Microplastics in Water and Soils: Application and Mechanism Analysis
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This review examines how biochar can be used to both remove microplastics from water and mitigate their harmful effects in soils. Researchers found that woody biochar was the most effective type for adsorbing microplastics, while also helping to restore soil enzyme activities and microbial communities disrupted by plastic contamination. The study calls for further research into optimizing biochar applications and understanding the long-term environmental implications of biochar-microplastic interactions.
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