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The Plasticene era: Current uncertainties in estimates of the hazards posed by tiny plastic particles on soils and terrestrial invertebrates
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This review examines what we currently know and do not know about the effects of tiny plastic particles on soil health and the invertebrates that live in it. Researchers found that while plastic pollution in agricultural soils is a growing concern, there are still major gaps in our understanding, especially regarding nanoplastics. The study calls for more research into how these particles interact with soil ecosystems and the creatures that depend on them.
Plastics are ubiquitous in our daily life. Large quantities of plastics leak in the environment where they weather and fragment into micro- and nanoparticles. This potentially releases additives, but rarely leads to a complete mineralization, thus constitutes an environmental hazard. Plastic pollution in agricultural soils currently represents a major challenge: quantitative data of nanoplastics in soils as well as their effects on biodiversity and ecosystem functions need more attention. Plastic accumulation interferes with soil functions, including water dynamics, aeration, microbial activities, and nutrient cycling processes, thus impairing agricultural crop yield. Plastic debris directly affects living organisms but also acts as contaminant vectors in the soils, increasing the effects and the threats on biodiversity. Finally, the effects of plastics on terrestrial invertebrates, representing major taxa in abundance and diversity in the soil compartment, need urgently more investigation from the infra-individual to the ecosystem scales.
More Papers Like This
The Fate and Risk of Micro- and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial Ecosystems
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This research review summarizes what scientists currently know about tiny plastic particles (called micro- and nanoplastics) that contaminate soil and land environments. The study found that while researchers have learned a lot about plastic pollution, there are still major gaps in understanding how these particles move through soil, affect plants and animals, and potentially reach humans through food. This matters because these microscopic plastics could enter our food supply through crops grown in contaminated soil, but scientists don't yet fully understand the health risks.
Plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems: Current knowledge on impacts of micro and nano fragments on invertebrates
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This review summarizes research on how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil-dwelling invertebrates like earthworms and insects, finding that effects vary widely depending on plastic type, shape, concentration, and exposure time. While no broad conclusions could be drawn, the documented sublethal effects on soil organisms could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support the crops humans depend on for food.
Do Microplastics and Nanoplastics Pose Risks to Biota in Agricultural Ecosystems?
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This review examines the growing presence of micro- and nanoplastics in agricultural soils, estimated at over 0.5 megatons annually. Researchers found that these particles can have varied effects on soil properties, microorganisms, invertebrates, and plants, depending on polymer type, additives, and exposure duration. The study highlights that agricultural soils serve as major reservoirs for plastic pollution and calls for standardized research methods and regulatory guidelines to address the risks to food web safety.
Underestimated and ignored? The impacts of microplastic on soil invertebrates—Current scientific knowledge and research needs
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This review highlights the critical gap in research on how microplastics affect soil invertebrates, noting that soil ecosystems receive far more plastic pollution than oceans yet the ecological consequences for soil fauna remain poorly understood and largely unstudied.
Soil Pollution from Micro- and Nanoplastic Debris: A Hidden and Unknown Biohazard
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This review examines what is known about the fate and properties of microplastics and nanoplastics in soil, highlighting that agricultural land acts as a long-term sink for the ~300 million tons of plastic produced annually, with major knowledge gaps in detection and ecotoxicological effects.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.