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Organic fertilizers as a vector of microplastics: A comprehensive review of sources, dispersion, and environmental consequences
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This review synthesized evidence on how organic fertilizers — including sewage sludge and composts — act as vectors for microplastic transport into agricultural soils. The authors document how MPs from degraded plastics, textiles, and personal care products enter farming systems and affect soil health, plant growth, and the broader food chain.
Microplastics (MPs) are frequently reported in agricultural soils due to the application of organic fertilizers originating from land-based sources. These MPs are formed through the degradation of plastics, personal care products, synthetic textiles, and the utilization of sewage sludge in farming. This review presents the research findings on the sources of MPs in organic fertilizers and their dispersion behavior and consequences. MPs affect the stability and structure of the soil as well as the cycling of nutrients and microbial activities within the soil. There is also clear evidence of the potential impacts of MPs on plant health and the risk of these particles entering the food chain and affecting other ecosystems. Organic fertilizers contaminated with MPs threaten soil health and food safety. This review focuses on their sources, impacts on plant growth, and the necessity for better research methods. Also elucidate dispersion pathways through direct soil incorporation, mulching, and fertigation. A future study should aim to determine the effects and formulate strategies to mitigate the impacts of MP contamination on agricultural ecosystems. Moreover, this study further reviews recent efforts to understand MP contamination of organic fertilizers and recommends future research. The paper points out the need for better data analyses and interdisciplinary efforts to appropriately minimize the environmental impact of MPs. Addressing MPs contamination in organic fertilizers requires interdisciplinary collaboration and evidence-based policy frameworks to ensure agricultural sustainability and food security. Future agricultural practice can be supported through research exploring sources, pathways, and risks of MPs in the agricultural context to lead to global environmental health. • Microplastics in organic fertilizers threaten soil health and food safety. • Microplastics impact soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial activities. • Contaminated fertilizers pose risks to plant health and food chain safety. • Better research methods needed to mitigate MPs in agricultural ecosystems. • Interdisciplinary efforts required for sustainable, MP-free agricultural practices.
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This review traces how microplastics enter agricultural soil through organic fertilizers made from municipal waste, sewage sludge, and animal manure. During the composting process, the microplastics undergo physical and chemical changes that can make them better at absorbing other pollutants from the soil. The review highlights that applying organic fertilizer to farmland is a major but often overlooked pathway for microplastics to contaminate the food supply.
Microplastic contamination of organic fertilisers applied to agricultural soils
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This study examined microplastic contamination in organic fertilizers applied to agricultural soils, finding plastic particles in multiple fertilizer types. Organic fertilizers derived from sewage sludge or compost can introduce microplastics into farmland, potentially contaminating crops and groundwater.
Microplastic pollution of organic waste products used for soil amendment
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Organic materials used as soil amendments — including compost, green waste, manure, and sewage sludge — were analyzed and found to contain microplastics, identifying organic fertilizers as a primary source of agricultural soil contamination. The study quantified microplastic concentrations in different amendment types to improve understanding of the scale of this contamination pathway. The findings support calls for better quality controls on organic waste products used in agriculture to limit microplastic spread through the food production system.
Do contaminants compromise the use of recycled nutrients in organic agriculture? A review and synthesis of current knowledge on contaminant concentrations, fate in the environment and risk assessment
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This review examines whether recycled nutrients from waste streams, such as sewage sludge and compost, introduce harmful contaminants including microplastics into organic farmland. While levels of heavy metals and many pollutants have decreased in European waste streams, microplastic contamination in agricultural soil remains widespread and poorly understood. The review highlights that spreading waste-derived fertilizers on farmland is a significant pathway for microplastics to enter the food production system.
Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application
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Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 23 commercial organic fertilizers, finding widespread presence at levels that could meaningfully contribute to agricultural soil pollution when fertilizers are applied. The results raise concerns about organic fertilizers as an underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering farm soils and the food system.
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