Uptake, Accumulation, and Ecotoxicological Impacts of Microplastic on Plant Production and Soil Ecosystem

Microplastics (MPs) are a problem since they have spread to every area of the environment and are responsible for between 75 to 90% of the contamination of plastic waste by terrestrial sources. These new anthropogenic stressors have been a growing concern for ecotoxicologists. In addition to using personal care items like liquid soap, scrubbers, and cleaning supplies, microplastics are also released into the environment when bigger plastic objects degrade (i.e. secondary microplastics). The indiscriminate use of plastics and poor waste management raises serious concerns about the state of the global ecology. It has been established that MP contamination poses a serious threat to various trophic levels in the environment, causing active ingestion, impaired feeding, stunted growth, reduced reproduction in terms of oocyte formation and decreased sperm velocity, offspring formation, changes in gene expression profiling, etc. from producer to consumer level. MPs are efficient carriers for introducing non-invasive species and persistent organic pollutants to terrestrial ecosystems because of their comparatively large surface area. As most effects are noticed and/or overestimated at relatively higher concentrations, it serves as a reminder for ecotoxicologists and ecologists to investigate the potential adverse effects of MPs at environmentally reported particle ranges and preserve ecosystems for sustainable development. This chapter focuses on microplastics' ecotoxicological effects on plants and animals at various trophic levels, as well as their uptake, accumulation, excretion, and possible mechanistic toxicity using risk assessment methods in soil environments.