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Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soil: A Critical Review in North-East India
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Northeast India's biodiversity-rich ecosystems face widespread microplastic contamination driven by domestic waste, agriculture, industry, and aquaculture, with significant plastic ingestion documented in fish across major freshwater systems. This review identifies critical knowledge gaps and calls for integrated governance and community-level interventions to address a growing threat to agriculture and public health in a globally important biodiversity hotspot.
Context: Microplastics contamination is an escalating environmental threat in Northeast India, critically impacting its fragile ecosystems, agriculture, and public health. The region, recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot, faces growing microplastics pollution from diverse sources such as domestic waste, agriculture, industrial activities, and aquaculture. This study explores the comprehensive understanding that can guide future research, governance, and regional mitigation strategies. Objective: This review aims to synthesize existing research on microplastics contamination in Northeast India, assess their sources and environmental pathways, evaluate ecological and agricultural impacts, identify critical knowledge gaps, and highlight policy and community-level interventions required for eff ective management. Methodology: The review compiles and analyzes available scientifi c literature, government reports, and regional environmental assessments related to microplastics contamination in Northeast India. Studies focusing on aquatic ecosystems, soils, biodiversity impacts, and regional waste-management practices were systematically evaluated. Results: The review reveals widespread microplastics contamination across Northeast India, with signifi cant presence recorded in major freshwater ecosystems such as Loktak Lake, Deepor Beel, and associated river systems. Evidence shows ingestion of microplastics by fi sh and other aquatic organisms, indicating potential trophic transfer and risks of bioaccumulation. Agricultural soils are also notably aff ected, primarily due to the use of plastic mulching fi lms and irrigation pipelines. Despite these growing concerns, research eff orts remain limited and inconsistent, with a lack of standardized methodologies and longterm monitoring.
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Microplastic Pollution in Agricultural Soils and Freshwater Ecosystem of Northeast India: Current Status, Pathways, and Knowledge Gaps
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This review synthesizes research on microplastic contamination in Northeast India, a region recognized as a global biodiversity hotspot facing growing pollution from domestic waste, agriculture, and aquaculture. The authors assess sources, environmental pathways, and ecological impacts of microplastics in the region's freshwater ecosystems and agricultural soils. The study identifies critical knowledge gaps and calls for targeted policy interventions and community-level strategies to address this emerging environmental threat.
Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils Across India: A Systematic Review of Studies and Research Gaps
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This systematic review examines microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across India, an area that has received far less attention than waterways. The research identifies polluted irrigation water, industrial discharge, and plastic mulch as key contamination sources, raising concerns about microplastics entering the food supply through crops grown in contaminated soil.
Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils Across India: A Systematic Review
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This systematic review of 73 studies found that microplastics are contaminating agricultural soils across India through polluted irrigation water, atmospheric deposition, and plastic mulch use. This is concerning because microplastics in farmland can be taken up by crops and enter the food supply. The research highlights a significant gap — most studies focus on waterways while the soils that grow our food remain understudied.
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Researchers surveyed microplastic abundance, polymer diversity, and ecological risk across seven land-use types in India's Brahmaputra Valley, finding that built-up areas had the highest particle counts while forest soils paradoxically showed the greatest polymer hazard scores due to high-risk polymers, and that land-use type shapes both the quantity and composition of soil microplastic contamination.
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This review examined microplastic pollution in soils and terrestrial ecosystems from both global and Bangladesh perspectives. Researchers found that while microplastics are well-studied in aquatic environments, their presence in agricultural soils poses a largely unexplored threat to food safety, with evidence suggesting microplastics can transfer from soil through terrestrial agriculture into the human food chain.
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