Microplastics in the Digestive Tract of Gryllus Pennsylvanicus Crickets in a Biosolid – Treated Agricultural Field

Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems and their effects on macroinvertebrates

Microplastics: Environmental Risks in Insect Ecosystem Leading to Adversity on Human Health

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Researchers examine how microplastic pollution affects insect ecosystems, tracing how plastic debris degrades into microscopic particles that are ingested by insects, disrupting their physiology and behavior, with downstream consequences for pollination, food webs, and ultimately human health given insects' foundational role in terrestrial ecosystems.

A permeating threat of microplastics on insects and their ecological roles

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Researchers review how microplastic contamination disrupts insect physiology — reducing reproductive success, altering behavior, and compromising immunity — with cascading consequences for pollination, pest control, and nutrient cycling that could ripple broadly through agriculture and biodiversity.

Insect Interactions with Microplastics Under Different Ecosystems

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This review examines how insects interact with microplastics across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, including ingestion, bioaccumulation, and trophic transfer to insectivorous predators. Insects are key links in food webs connecting environmental microplastic contamination to vertebrate animals and humans, making their role in microplastic transfer a critical and underappreciated exposure pathway.

Microplastics in Terrestrial Ecosystems

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This review assessed microplastic accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems — including agricultural soils, forests, and urban environments — documenting effects on soil structure, earthworm health, plant growth, and microbial diversity driven by decades of dramatic plastic production growth. Because terrestrial environments receive far more microplastic deposition than oceans yet are less studied, the soil contamination documented here directly threatens food production and represents a major underappreciated source of human dietary microplastic exposure through crops and soil-grown produce.