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Microplastics in agricultural soils: Impacts on soil microbial communities, nutrient cycling, earthworm health, and soil ecosystem functions
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This review pulls together existing research showing that tiny plastic bits building up in farm soil, from sources like plastic mulch and sewage sludge, are harming the soil itself, disrupting the microbes and earthworms that keep it healthy and fertile. This matters because damaged soil means reduced crop growth and food security over time, and these same microplastics can carry harmful chemicals and heavy metals that may end up in our food, water, and air. The researchers stress that without action to reduce plastic pollution now, the damage to farmland could become permanent.
Global plastic production has increased exponentially since the mid-20th century, leading to the widespread accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in terrestrial ecosystems. Agricultural soils have become major sinks for MPs due to inputs from plastic mulching, sewage sludge, compost, irrigation with reclaimed water, and atmospheric deposition. MPs alter soil physicochemical characteristics, affect nutrient cycling, and disrupt microbial diversity, structure, and enzymatic activities. They also interact with co-occurring pollutants, facilitating the transport and bioavailability of heavy metals and organic contaminants. Earthworms, as key soil engineers, are particularly vulnerable to MP exposure, exhibiting growth inhibition, oxidative stress, intestinal damage, and alterations in gut microbiota composition. Moreover, MPs enhance greenhouse gas emissions by influencing microbial metabolism and soil redox conditions, further impacting ecosystem stability. Human exposure through ingestion, inhalation, and dermal contact raises additional health concerns. This review demonstrates that MPs function as integrated stressors in terrestrial ecosystems, compromising soil health through physicochemical degradation of soil structure, destabilization of microbial communities, and direct toxicity to keystone soil fauna. Impact severity is highly context-dependent, governed by MP properties (size, polymer type), soil characteristics, and exposure duration. Without immediate source control and remediation strategies, continued MP accumulation will irreversibly impair critical soil ecosystem services, threatening agricultural productivity and food security.
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Researchers examined how plastic film used widely in Chinese agriculture breaks down and accumulates in soil, finding that microplastic debris may degrade soil quality and crop health over time, with potential ripple effects for food safety and agricultural sustainability.
Microplastics as Emerging Contaminants: Unraveling Their Impact on Soil Health
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This review pulls together existing research showing how tiny plastic bits in soil mess with its structure, chemistry, and the microbes that keep it healthy, making it harder for plants to grow and absorb nutrients properly. This matters because these plastics can travel from soil into the crops we eat, and the damage to soil health could shrink crop yields over time, raising concerns about both food safety and food supply.
Impact of Microplastic Pollution on Soil Health
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Researchers review how microplastics enter agricultural soils from plastic mulch films, sewage sludge, and irrigation water, documenting their effects on soil microbial communities, nutrient cycling, and overall soil health in ways that may threaten long-term agricultural productivity.
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