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Urgent need for a comprehensive assessment of large-scale microplastic pollution in plastic-intensive agriculture
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Researchers reviewed evidence showing that microplastics building up in agricultural soils threaten soil health, microbial communities, and crop yields, while highlighting a critical lack of large-scale, long-term data — especially in South Korea. They call for a national database linking soil microplastic contamination to crop outcomes to guide risk assessment and farm management.
Microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils poses a growing environmental concern, affecting soil fertility, microbial communities, and crop productivity.This paper reviews current knowledge of soil microplastic toxicity, summarizes documented effects on plant and soil processes, and proposes a strategy for targeted analyses using existing soil archives.While laboratory and field studies have provided valuable mechanistic insights, their limited spatial and temporal scope constrains real-world applicability.Studies in soil systems, particularly those accounting for the origin, distribution, and environmental behavior of microplastics, are still limited.Moreover, current soil and crop evaluations often rely on single polymer type and assume a linear relationship with crop toxicity, which remains questionable.This study highlights the lack of data capturing both spatial and temporal variability of microplastics in the agricultural soils.Notably, no comprehensive Korean database currently links soil microplastic contamination to crop growth and yield under field conditions.Establishing such a database is essential to support risk assessment, agricultural management, and improving biogeochemical modeling tailored to Korean soils and cropping systems.Therefore, a unified information system for agricultural microplastic management is needed to integrate physiological and biogeochemical data across scales.
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This bibliometric analysis reviewed global research trends on microplastic pollution in agricultural soils, finding rapidly growing scientific interest and identifying key knowledge gaps. Soil microplastic contamination poses risks to soil health, crop growth, and ultimately human food safety.
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This review summarizes research on microplastic sources, accumulation, degradation, and ecological effects in agricultural soils, arguing that soil microplastic pollution deserves the same level of attention as marine microplastic pollution. The paper calls for greater investment in understanding how microplastics affect soil organisms, plant health, and food safety in terrestrial food production systems.
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This review pulls together existing research showing that farm soils actually contain far more microplastics than oceans do, and these tiny plastic bits harm soil quality by disrupting helpful bacteria, hurting earthworms, and reducing nutrients crops need. Microplastics can also carry toxic chemicals and metals into the food we eat, making this a hidden risk to both food supply and human health that needs more attention.
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: An Emerging Threat to Soil Health, Microbial Ecology, Crop Productivity, and Food Safety
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This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt soil microbial communities, harm plant health, and potentially enter the human food chain. The study highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address this growing but often overlooked form of pollution in farmland.
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