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Pay Attention to Research on Microplastic Pollution in Soil for Prevention of Ecological and Food Chain Risks
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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.
Marine microplastic pollution considered as an emerging environmental problem has been highly recognized worldwide. Comparatively, no such attention has been paid on soil microplastic pollution especially in agricultural land. This paper reviews research progress in sources, accumulation, degradation, transport, and potential risks in eco-environment and food chain, and suggests relevant countermeasures in governance and research. It is also pointed out that microplastics may enter into the agricultural soils through various sources and pathways, including agricultural film breaking, organic manure application, water irrigation, sewage sludge utilization, atmospheric deposition, and surface runoff, and then accumulate in surface layer, while animal and possibly edible plants grown in soils, likely posing risks on ecosystem and food chain. However, the accumulation, forms, movement, degradation of microplastics in soil-animal-plant systems and their risks on eco-environment, food chain, and human health have been poorly understood. It is also lack of study and awareness in good measures for prevention, control, and remediation of microplastic pollution in soil. Therefore, the study also put forward to attach importance of research in microplastic pollution and treatment in soil for prevention of ecological and food chain risks. It is suggested that China should speed up the establishment of analytical methodology for soil microplastic study and accelerate deployment strategy for systematic research in soil microplastic pollution and treatment, aiming at understanding accumulation, release, transformation, and their eco-environmental effects of microplastics and corresponding additives and metabolites in soil, evaluating potential impacts of microplastics and its attached pollutants on risks to soil biotas, ecosystem, and food chain, and constructing technology systems for source control and remediation of microplastic pollution in soil. Thus, both scientific basis and technological support can be well provided for governance and treatment of microplastics in soil and terrestrial ecosystems in China.
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Sources, pollution, and ecological impacts of soil microplastics-A review
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A comprehensive review summarized the sources, distribution, and ecological impacts of microplastics in soil environments, synthesizing evidence on how plastics affect soil organisms, structure, and agricultural productivity. The review calls for urgent policy action to address soil microplastic contamination as a threat to food security.
Towards an ecology of soil microplastics
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This perspective paper calls for greater research attention on microplastic pollution in soils, arguing that terrestrial ecosystems may be even more contaminated than aquatic ones but have received far less scientific scrutiny. The authors outline research priorities for understanding microplastic behavior, ecological effects, and food web implications in soil environments.
Microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems: Global implications and sustainable solutions
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This review examines microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems, an area that has received far less attention than ocean plastic pollution despite soil being a major sink for these contaminants. The study covers how microplastics interact with other soil pollutants, affect plant growth and soil health, and discusses both policy solutions and practical removal methods to reduce the amount of microplastics that enter the food chain.
How microplastics are destroying soil and human health
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This review examined how microplastics harm soil health — disrupting soil structure, water retention, microbial communities, and nutrient cycling — and how soil degradation translates into risks for human health through food and water contamination. It argues that soil microplastic pollution deserves equivalent attention to aquatic contamination.
A review of microplastics in the soil environment
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This review summarizes the current state of knowledge about microplastic contamination in soil environments, covering sources, distribution, and effects on soil organisms and ecosystems. The study highlights that while aquatic microplastic research is more advanced, soil contamination poses significant but understudied risks to terrestrial ecosystems and food production.
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