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Micro- and Nanoplastics as Carriers for Other Soil Pollutants
Summary
Researchers reviewed how microplastics in soil serve as vectors for co-transport of other pollutants — including heavy metals, pesticides, and antibiotics — with annual terrestrial plastic releases estimated at 4–23 times those entering the marine environment. This carrier effect means soil microplastic contamination amplifies the bioavailability and toxicity of co-occurring chemical pollutants, compounding risks to soil organisms, crops, and ultimately human consumers.
Annual releases of plastic to the terrestrial environment are 4–23 times as high as releases to the marine environment. Microplastics can enter the soil in many routes, for example, compost and sewage sludge as fertilizer, plastic mulching, irrigation and...