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Critical Review of Microplastics in Soil
Summary
Soils worldwide are accumulating microplastics from sources including biosolid fertilizers, plastic mulch films, irrigation water, and atmospheric fallout, yet the extent of soil contamination — especially in the Global South, Africa, and polar regions — remains poorly studied. This review maps out what is known about microplastic sources, distribution, and risks in soils, and advocates for standardized sampling and identification methods to fill major knowledge gaps.
Plastics are chemically diverse, versatile, low-cost synthetic polymeric materials. They are essential in various sectors of the economy, which is why the global production of plastics and their accumulation in the environment has increased, polluting water (surface, underground, and marine), air, and soil and contaminating plants, animals, food, and humans. Soils are more significantly impacted by microplastics (particles smaller than 5 μm) and important collectors and long-term transformers of these tailings; however, studies are recent and limited, especially in South America, Africa, Oceania, Antarctica, and other glacial and periglacial areas. In this context, the chapter critically reviews the sources, distribution, and risks of microplastics in soils, presenting the methods used in the studies, sampling techniques, extraction, purification, identification, characterization, advantages, and limitations of each strategy to guide paths for future research.