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Source, Environmental Behavior and Ecological Impact of Biodegradable Microplastics in Soil Ecosystems: A Review
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This review finds that biodegradable plastics do not fully break down as commonly assumed—they fragment into microplastics that alter soil chemistry, disrupt microbial communities, harm soil organisms, and amplify the toxicity of co-occurring pollutants. The widespread adoption of biodegradable plastics as an environmental solution may be creating a new category of soil microplastic contamination with its own distinct ecological risks.
Biodegradable plastics (BPs) have gained increasing prominence in the market as an environment-friendly substitute for conventional plastics, aiming to address the concerning accumulation of plastic waste in our environment. However, the notion that biodegradable plastics naturally and completely disintegrate might be misleading. In contrast, they may break down into smaller particles known as microplastics, which pose a potential threat to the soil ecosystem. This paper reviews the sources, degradation processes, transport pathways, and other environmental behaviors of biodegradable microplastics (BMPs). BMPs can affect soil quality by changing the physical and chemical properties of soil and the composition of biological communities. BMPs can also be ingested by soil organisms and thus participate in the circulation of nutrients and energy in the food web, bearing detrimental consequences for soil organisms. In addition, the toxicological effects of BMPs on ecosystems were discussed from the aspects of soil physicochemical properties and soil biomes. Not only the direct impact of BMPs, the synergistic interaction of BMPs with other soil pollutants amplifies their toxicity. Despite these insights, uncertainties persist due to limitations in analytical technology, hindering precise determination of BMPs concentrations and degradation rates in the soil environment. Moreover, understanding the concentration and residence time of additives released during BMPs degradation remains an unexplored area. Future research should emphasize long-term field trials to gain a comprehensive understanding of the extent and scope of BMPs effects on actual soil environmental toxicity.
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This review examined how microplastics transition through soil ecosystems, alter soil structure, affect microbial communities, and impact plant health and agricultural productivity. Soil microplastic contamination is a growing threat to food security because it degrades the biological systems that underpin crop growth while simultaneously introducing chemical additives into the root zone where they can be taken up by edible plants.
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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, Their Toxic Effects on Living Organisms in Soil Biota and Their Fate: An Appraisal
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Microplastics exert toxic effects on soil biota including earthworms, nematodes, and microorganisms, disrupting nutrient cycling and undermining ecosystem services that agriculture depends on. Their persistence in soils and accumulation through food chains represent a growing threat to terrestrial biodiversity and food system safety.
Effects of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Physicochemical Properties and Microorganisms
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A four-month soil incubation experiment compared conventional polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, finding both alter soil organic carbon, nitrogen availability, enzyme activity, and microbial community composition — with PLA causing distinct effects due to its degradability. The finding that biodegradable plastics still significantly disrupt soil microbiology challenges assumptions about their environmental safety and suggests replacing conventional plastics with PLA does not eliminate ecological harm.
Long-Term Fate of Micro/Nanoplastics in Soil Systems and Their Impacts
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Researchers examined the long-term fate of micro- and nanoplastics in soil, finding that these persistent particles accumulate over time and can disrupt soil ecosystems, potentially affecting plant growth, soil organisms, and the broader food chain through sustained environmental exposure.
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