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Microplastics in Agricultural Crops and Their Possible Impact on Farmers’ Health: A Review
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This review summarizes how microplastics from agricultural sources like mulch film, fertilizers, and tractor tires can accumulate in crops and soil. Farmers face occupational exposure to these particles, and the potential health effects highlight the need for safer alternatives to plastic in farming and better protective measures for agricultural workers.
The indiscriminate use of plastic products and their inappropriate management and disposal contribute to the increasing presence and accumulation of this material in all environmental zones. The chemical properties of plastics and their resistance to natural degradation lead over time to the production of microplastics (MPs) and nanoplastics, which are dispersed in soil, water, and air and can be absorbed by plants, including those grown for food. In agriculture, MPs can come from many sources (mulch film, tractor tires, compost, fertilizers, and pesticides). The possible effects of this type of pollution on living organisms, especially humans, increase the need to carry out studies to assess occupational exposure in agriculture. It would also be desirable to promote alternative materials to plastic and sustainable agronomic practices to protect the safety and health of agricultural workers.
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Microplastics in Agriculture- a Review
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This review examines the growing presence of microplastics in agricultural environments, covering their sources from plastic mulch films and irrigation water, their effects on soil health and crop quality, and the implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture.
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This review discusses the environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture, including soil microplastic accumulation from mulch films, microplastic uptake by crops, and potential entry into the food chain. The authors recommend shifting toward biodegradable alternatives and tightening regulations on agricultural plastic disposal.
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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.
A Critical Review of Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils and its Potential Risks to Crops and Human Health
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This review summarizes existing research on tiny plastic particles in farm soils, showing they build up from mulch film and sludge, and can affect soil and plant health in lab studies. Evidence that these particles move into food crops and affect human health remains limited and unproven.
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.
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