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Environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture
Summary
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.
Environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture Donald A. Bruun and Pamela J. Lein from the University of California, Davis in the U.S., highlight the environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture. Plastics are an integral part of human life and are found in many products we use daily, such as cars, furniture, toys, and food containers. In addition to these large plastic pieces, also known as “macroplastics”, “microplastics,” and “nano plastics,” which are defined as plastic fragments less than 5 mm or 1 μm in size, respectively, are widely used in personal care products and various medical applications, including drugs (to enhance drug delivery) and bioimaging.
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