We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics and nanoplastics: fate, transport, and governance from agricultural soil to food webs and humans
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics from agricultural sources like plastic mulch and fertilizers accumulate in soil, get taken up by plants, and enter the food chain. Many lab toxicity studies use unrealistically high plastic concentrations, but even the lower levels found in real farm fields can pose long-term cumulative risks, and major gaps remain in standardized risk assessment methods.
Abstract Microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics (NPs) are pervasive contaminants in agricultural soils, raising concerns over their environmental fate, food chain infiltration, and potential human health impacts. This review critically examines their primary sources—plastic mulching, biosolids, organic fertilisers, and atmospheric deposition—while distinguishing findings from laboratory, semi-field, and field studies. We assess their effects on soil health, microbial diversity, and crop productivity, emphasising methodological challenges in detecting and quantifying MPs. Plant and soil toxicity studies often use exaggerated MP concentrations (up to 50% by volume), whereas field data indicate much lower yet cumulatively significant levels (typically below 0.1% w/w). This discrepancy reveals the potential for long-term accumulative ecological risks and misrepresentations in many toxicity studies. Accurate toxicity assessments and analytical methodologies are crucial, as exaggerated MP concentrations in studies may misrepresent real-world risks. The review also evaluates plant uptake pathways, exploring bioaccumulation evidence and research discrepancies. In addition, we highlight the role of MPs as carriers of hazardous additives and pollutants, distinguishing their intrinsic effects from those of associated chemicals. A significant gap remains in standardised risk assessments and regulatory frameworks, limiting effective governance despite increasing environmental exposure. We propose future research priorities, including improved detection methods, long-term field studies, environmentally relevant toxicity studies and policy interventions, to mitigate the risks MPs and NPs pose in soil-based food systems. This review highlights the urgent need for coordinated scientific and regulatory efforts to address the growing challenges of agricultural plastic contamination. Graphical Abstract
More Papers Like This
Micro/Nanoplastics in Agriculture: Uptake, Translocation and Bioaccumulation in Plants and Their Ecological Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
Tiny plastic particles from pollution are building up in farm soils and getting absorbed by plants through their roots, then traveling up into the leaves, fruits, and other parts we eat. This review of existing research shows these plastics can interfere with how plants grow and take up nutrients, and their presence in edible crops raises real concerns about how much plastic might be ending up on our dinner plates. Scientists still need better, standardized tools to detect these particles and develop ways to keep them out of our food supply.
Microplastics in the agricultural soils: Pollution behavior and subsequent effects
AI summary Read the abstract
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.
A Systematic Review on Emission, Accumulation, Mechanism, and Toxicity Perspective of Micro‐Nanoplastics in the Soil–Plant Nexus
AI summary Read the abstract
This systematic review examines how micro- and nanoplastics enter soil, accumulate in plants, and move through the soil-plant system. The research shows that microplastics alter soil properties, affect plant growth, and can be taken up by crop roots and transported to edible plant parts. This is a direct concern for human health because it means microplastics in agricultural soil may end up in the fruits and vegetables people consume.
Pathways of micro- and nanoplastics transfer from plants to animals in the food chain
AI summary Read the abstract
This review pulls together what scientists currently know about tiny plastic particles moving from soil into plants, and potentially up the food chain to animals and humans. While plants can absorb these particles through their roots, researchers still aren't sure how much actually ends up on our plates or what it means for our health, more real-world studies are needed.
Nanoplastics and Microplastics in Agricultural Systems: Effects on Plants and Implications for Human Consumption
AI summary Read the abstract
This review summarizes existing research on how nanoplastics and microplastics enter agricultural soil through irrigation, plastic mulch, and sewage sludge, then accumulate in crops that people eat. The particles can also carry other harmful substances like pesticides and heavy metals into plants, raising concerns about long-term health effects from chronic dietary exposure.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.