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Microplastics in Soils as a Source of Pollution and Environmental Risk
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This book chapter reviews microplastics as a soil pollutant, covering sources, distribution, persistence, and ecological risks in terrestrial environments. Agricultural soils are particularly at risk due to plastic mulch film use, sewage sludge application, and atmospheric deposition.
This chapter gives an overview of the relations between microplastics and soils based on a deep review of the latest research, mainly centered in the last 10 years. Plastics are widely used materials and their degradation produces plastics of minor size (<5 mm), microplastics, that are persistent and appear distributed all over the world. A high interest is related to the presence of plastics in soils due to possible environmental pollution, considering that soil is a basic resource associated with the food chain. The main objectives of this chapter are to review the main sources of plastics and microplastics, their environmental concern, and the methods used to determine their presence in soils. As conclusions, it can be stated that further future research needs to be done focusing on microplastics in soils, and that there is an urgent need of developing standardized methods for sampling, extraction, and detection of plastic when analyzing soil samples.
More Papers Like This
Microplastics in Agricultural Soils
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This review covers the presence of microplastics in agricultural soils, examining how plastic mulches, irrigation water, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition contribute to farmland contamination. It discusses effects on soil organisms and the risk of microplastics entering the food chain through crops.
Microplastics in Soil: Inventories, Effect and Environmental Risks
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This review synthesizes global evidence on microplastic contamination of agricultural soils, covering input pathways (mulch films, sludge, irrigation), environmental risks to soil structure and organisms, and the broader implications for ecosystem services and food security.
Soil Environment Pollution with Microplastic, Influence Factors and Environmental Risks
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This review synthesizes research on microplastic contamination of soil environments, covering the major sources of soil microplastics, factors influencing their accumulation and distribution, and the environmental risks they pose to terrestrial ecosystems and agriculture.
Soil Contamination by Microplastics: Implications for Soil Health and Agro-Ecosystems
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This book chapter reviewed how microplastics enter agricultural soils through plastic mulches, sewage sludge, and irrigation systems, and how they alter soil porosity, water retention, and nutrient cycling. The authors concluded that microplastic contamination poses significant and underappreciated long-term risks to agricultural ecosystem sustainability.
Microplastics in the Land and Soil
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This review explains how soil acts as a major reservoir and source of microplastic pollution, receiving plastics from sewage sludge, plastic mulch films, and atmospheric deposition, then redistributing them to groundwater and aquatic systems. Microplastics in soil disrupt soil organisms, alter nutrient cycles, and may ultimately affect human health through food and water.
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When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.