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Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils Across India: A Systematic Review
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This systematic review of 73 studies found that microplastics are contaminating agricultural soils across India through polluted irrigation water, atmospheric deposition, and plastic mulch use. This is concerning because microplastics in farmland can be taken up by crops and enter the food supply. The research highlights a significant gap — most studies focus on waterways while the soils that grow our food remain understudied.
Microplastic contamination in India has been extensively studied in aquatic ecosystems, yet its implications for agricultural soils remain insufficiently addressed. This research paper bridges this gap by analyzing data from 73 studies published between 2020 and 2024, synthesizing findings on microplastic contamination across diverse ecosystems in India and assessing their potential impact on agricultural land. Microplastic contamination in India has been extensively studied in aquatic ecosystems, yet its implications for agricultural soils remain insufficiently addressed. While most studies focus on microplastics in beaches, rivers, lakes, and ponds, only a limited number directly investigate agricultural soils, highlighting a significant research gap. Key contamination sources identified include irrigation with polluted water, atmospheric deposition, industrial discharge, inadequate waste management, and agricultural practices such as plastic mulch use. In Northern India, extensive irrigation networks sourcing water from the Ganga, Yamuna, and Sutlej rivers pose significant risks of microplastic infiltration into farmland. Western India experiences high contamination due to industrial effluents, urban plastic waste, and irrigation practices. In Southern and Eastern India, coastal agricultural regions face risks from marine and estuarine microplastic pollution, potentially affecting soil and crop health. Additionally, Northeastern India shows potential threats due to microplastic-laden water bodies and atmospheric deposition near agricultural lands. By identifying high-risk zones and knowledge gaps, this study provides a foundation for future research aimed at mitigating the growing threat of microplastic pollution in India’s agricultural sector. Addressing these challenges is crucial for ensuring soil health, food security, and environmental sustainability.
More Papers Like This
Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils Across India: A Systematic Review of Studies and Research Gaps
AI summary Read the abstract
This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across India, an area that has received far less attention than waterways. The research identifies polluted irrigation water, industrial discharge, and plastic mulch as key contamination sources, raising concerns about microplastics entering the food supply through crops grown in contaminated soil.
Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils and Its Implications for Soil Health in India: A Systematic Review
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This review of 52 studies found that Indian farm soils—especially in Punjab and Haryana—contain high levels of tiny plastic bits, mostly from mulch films and irrigation equipment, and these microplastics are harming soil quality by disrupting helpful microbes, earthworms, and root growth. This matters because the contamination has already been linked to crop yield losses of up to 28%, raising concerns about future food supplies and, potentially, plastic exposure through the food we eat.
Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils and Its Implications for Soil Health in India: A Systematic Review
AI summary Read the abstract
Farm soils across India—especially in Punjab and Haryana—are heavily contaminated with tiny plastic fragments from mulch films and irrigation equipment, according to this review of 52 existing studies. These microplastics harm soil health by disrupting beneficial microbes, earthworms, and root growth, leading to crop yield losses of up to 28%, which raises concerns about long-term food security. While the study doesn't directly measure health effects on people, shrinking crop yields and plastic-contaminated farmland are worth watching, since microplastics can end up in the food we eat.
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.
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.
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