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Microplastics and nanoplastics in the soil-plant nexus: Sources, uptake, and toxicity
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This review examines how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from plastic products and affect the soil-plant system. Researchers found that nanoplastics can be taken up by plant roots, cause oxidative stress, and negatively affect crop growth. The findings raise concerns about food safety since these particles may carry co-contaminants into the food chain.
The agricultural sector is increasingly dependent upon the use of plastic products to enhance productivity. In addition to many incidental inputs, plastic fragments are progressively accumulating in soil following the degradation of plastic products. Microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) and nanoplastics (NPs, <1 µm) in agricultural soils have caused substantial concerns recently. The insidious interactions between plants, soil, and MPs/NPs in the agricultural environment could affect soil health, crop productivity, and threaten food safety and human health. Importantly, finer NPs can be taken up by plants, induce oxidative stress and negatively affect plant growth. Even though interactions of MPs/NPs with plants in the plant-soil nexus have been reported, a comprehensive review of the state of knowledge is lacking, which hinders continued progress in this emerging field. This review aims to fill the gap by extensively summarizing MPs/NPs sources in agriculture, techniques to investigate, impact on soil properties and accumulation in the plants. The synergistic effect of organic and inorganic co-contaminants and MPs/NPs are highlighted due to the widespread presence of these chemicals in agricultural soils. This review also presented possible mechanisms of MPs/NPs phytotoxicity. Although new information is emerging there is a paucity of data on the fate and impact of MPs/NPs in the plant-soil nexus. More efforts are needed to elucidate the fate and impact of MPs/NPs in agricultural soils to gain a deeper understanding of their health and safety implications.
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This review summarizes research on how nanoplastics interact with plants in soil environments, finding that these tiny particles can be taken up by roots and transported to all plant organs, including edible parts like grain. Researchers found that nanoplastics induce oxidative stress in plants, inhibiting photosynthesis and growth, and can also carry other soil pollutants into plant tissues. The study highlights significant concerns about nanoplastic contamination entering the food chain through agricultural crops.
Particulate plastics-plant interaction in soil and its implications: A review
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics in soil interact with plants, including uptake through roots, accumulation in plant tissues, and effects on growth, nutrient absorption, and soil microbial communities. The study highlights that these plastic particles can alter soil structure and chemistry in ways that affect crop development, raising concerns about food safety and agricultural productivity.
Micro (nano) plastic pollution: The ecological influence on soil-plant system and human health.
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This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect soil health, plant growth, and food quality, finding that these particles accumulate in plant root systems and can reduce crop yields and alter nutritional content. Since contaminated soil and water are increasingly delivering microplastics to food crops, these findings are directly relevant to agricultural food safety.
Microplastics and Their Effect in Horticultural Crops: Food Safety and Plant Stress
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This review examined how microplastics and nanoplastics accumulate in agricultural soils and enter the food chain through edible plants and animals, concluding that plastic contamination represents a multi-pathway food safety risk requiring coordinated regulatory and agronomic responses.
Impacts of Micro/Nanoplastics on Crop Physiology and Soil Ecosystems: A Review
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This review synthesized evidence on how micro- and nanoplastics affect crop physiology and soil ecosystems, covering how plastic particles enter plants via roots, disrupt soil microbiota, and impair crop growth through oxidative stress, nutrient cycling disruption, and physical root interference. The authors found that nanoplastics pose greater plant risks than microplastics due to their ability to cross cell membranes.
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