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Microplastics in Soil-Plant Systems: Sources and Impacts on Soil, Plant, and Microbial Interactions
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This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles called microplastics in farm soil and plants. It describes how they enter soil through sources like plastic mulch and wastewater, change soil properties and microbial activity, and can be absorbed by plant roots, affecting growth differently depending on particle size and amount.
Microplastics (MPs), plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, have emerged as significant contaminants in soil-plant systems, largely due to intensive agricultural practices. The major sources of these chemicals include plastic mulch degradation, sewage sludge application, wastewater irrigation, landfill leachates, and atmospheric deposition. MPs alter the physical and chemical properties of soil by affecting aggregation, porosity, water retention, and nutrient dynamics, thereby influencing soil fertility. They also disrupt microbial communities, enzyme activity, and nutrient cycling processes. In plant systems, MPs can enter through the roots, translocate to the aerial parts, and accumulate in edible tissues, raising food safety concerns. Their effects on plant growth and physiology vary, ranging from inhibited germination and reduced biomass to occasional growth stimulation, depending on particle size, type, and concentration. Overall, MPs pose complex ecological risks, necessitating further research to understand their long-term effects on agricultural sustainability and food security. Compared with earlier syntheses, this review draws predominantly on evidence published from 2024 onward. It links source-specific particle signatures (polymer type and morphotype) to soil, plant, and microbial responses, with particular attention to dissolved organic matter dynamics, size- and dose-dependent (including stimulatory) plant responses, nitrogen-cycling microorganisms, biodegradable MPs and co-contamination with heavy metals, and it closes with a set of research priorities.. KEYWORDS :Agricultural sustainability, Microbial communities, Microplastics, Soil health, Soil-plant interactions
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