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Ecological effects of micro/nanoplastics on plant-associated food webs
Summary
This review discussed the ecological effects of micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) on plant-associated above- and belowground food webs, tracing MNP uptake, ingestion, and bioaccumulation through multiple trophic levels. Key pathways were identified by which MNPs disrupt soil and plant-associated food webs, with implications for terrestrial biodiversity and agriculture.
Micro/nanoplastics (MNPs) contamination is a potential threat to global biodiversity and ecosystem functions, with unclear ecological impacts on aboveground (AG) and belowground (BG) food webs in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we discuss the uptake, ingestion, bioaccumulation, and ecotoxicological effects of MNPs in plants and associated AG-BG biota at various trophic levels. We propose key pathways for MNPs transfer between the AG-BG food webs and elaborate their impact on terrestrial ecosystem multifunctionality. We conclude that MNPs are bioaccumulated in most studied plants and associated AG-BG biota and can be transferred along AG-BG food webs, which may profoundly impact ecosystem functioning. However, most pathways are still untested. Future research on MNPs should focus on the interactions within AG-BG food webs in terrestrial ecosystems.