Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils Across India: A Systematic Review of Studies and Research Gaps

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.

2025 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: An Emerging Threat to Soil Health, Microbial Ecology, Crop Productivity, and Food Safety

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that these particles can disrupt soil microbial communities, harm plant health, and potentially enter the human food chain. The study highlights the urgent need for mitigation strategies to address this growing but often overlooked form of pollution in farmland.

2025 International Journal of Plant & Soil Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in the agricultural soils: Pollution behavior and subsequent effects

This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics accumulate in farmland through fertilizers, irrigation, plastic mulch, and atmospheric fallout. Microplastics change soil structure, harm beneficial microbes, and can be taken up by crops, moving through the food chain to humans. The authors emphasize that more research is needed to understand the long-term health risks of eating food grown in microplastic-contaminated soil.

2024 Land Degradation and Development 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agricultural Soils

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.

2019 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Significance of Microplastics in Agricultural Soil

This review examines the significance of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, estimating it contributes approximately 20% of total plastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems. Microplastics enter farmland through irrigation, mulch, and sewage sludge, and can be transported deeper into soil by plant roots and soil organisms. The accumulation of microplastics in agricultural land poses risks to soil health and the food grown in it.

2023 Journal of Agronomy Technology and Engineering Management (JATEM) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Activities of Microplastics (MPs) in Agricultural Soil: A Review of MPs Pollution from the Perspective of Agricultural Ecosystems

This review summarizes the origins, migration, and fate of microplastics in agricultural soil ecosystems, identifying plastic mulch film, irrigation water, and organic fertilizers as major sources. The study highlights that microplastic accumulation in farmland can affect soil structure, microbial communities, and crop growth, with potential implications for food safety through the terrestrial food chain.

2022 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 210 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

[Distribution, Sources, and Behavioral Characteristics of Microplastics in Farmland Soil].

This systematic review summarizes existing research on how microplastics distribute, accumulate, and move through farmland soils worldwide. The study found that microplastics in agricultural soil come mainly from plastic mulch films, fertilizers, and irrigation water, with fibers and fragments being the most common shapes detected. Since farmland microplastics can be taken up by crops, this contamination pathway is a direct route for microplastics to enter the human food supply.

2023 PubMed 8 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Far‐Reaching Impact of Microplastics on Agricultural Systems: Options for Mitigation and Adaptation

This systematic review examines how microplastics affect agricultural systems, from soil health and crop growth to farm animals and the food consumers eat. The research highlights that microplastic contamination in farming is widespread and may pose risks throughout the food supply chain, making it a concern for anyone who eats conventionally grown food.

2025 Land Degradation and Development 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agricultural Systems: Analytical Methodologies and Effects on Soil Quality and Crop Yield

This review analyzed 177 scientific studies on the occurrence and effects of microplastics in agricultural soils. Researchers found that microplastic contamination from sources like plastic mulch films, fertilizers, and irrigation water can alter soil properties, affect microbial communities, and influence crop yield, highlighting a growing concern for food production systems.

2022 Agriculture 71 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Irrigation Systems: A Growing Threat to Agriculture Soil and Crop Plant

This review examines how microplastics enter agricultural soil through irrigation water, where they can degrade soil quality and harm plant growth. Microplastics from wastewater, plastic mulch, and contaminated water sources accumulate in farmland and can be taken up by crops. The study highlights a growing concern that irrigated agriculture may be a major pathway for microplastics to enter the human food supply.

2025 Environmental Quality Management 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and Migration Dynamics of Microplastics in Agricultural Soils

This review summarizes 30 years of research on microplastic pollution in agricultural soils, covering how these particles enter farmland through mulch films, irrigation water, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers found that microplastics can alter soil structure, affect microbial communities, and influence crop growth in various ways. The study highlights the need for standardized methods to measure and manage microplastic contamination in farming systems.

2024 Agriculture 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Sources, environmental fate, and impacts of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils: A comprehensive review

This review examines how microplastics from fertilizers, irrigation, and atmospheric fallout are contaminating agricultural soils worldwide. Once in the soil, microplastics interact with soil organisms, disrupt plant growth, and can carry other harmful chemicals deeper into the environment. Because these tiny plastics can move up the food chain, they represent a growing threat to both food safety and human health.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 115 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantification and Analysis of Microplastics in Farmland Soils: Characterization, Sources, and Pathways

This study quantified and characterized microplastics in farmland soils from multiple sites, identifying agricultural mulch films, irrigation water, and compost as major sources and documenting widespread soil contamination across different farming regions.

2021 Agriculture 99 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic Mulch Films in Arid Agroecosystems: A Systematic Review of Microplastic Generation, Transport, and Impacts

This systematic review examines how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics that contaminate agricultural soils in dry regions. While these films help crops grow by conserving water and suppressing weeds, their long-term use leaves persistent plastic pollution in the very soil used to grow food. This is particularly concerning because microplastics in agricultural soil can potentially enter the food chain.

2026 Open Science Framework
Systematic Review Tier 1

Plastic Mulch Films in Arid Agroecosystems: A Systematic Review of Microplastic Generation, Transport, and Impacts

This systematic review looks at how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics that contaminate agricultural soil. These microplastics can alter soil structure, affect beneficial organisms, and potentially enter the food chain through crops grown in contaminated fields.

2026 OSF Preprints (OSF Preprints)
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in soil agro-ecosystems: A review

This review examines microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across global regions, with a focus on underrepresented areas in Africa, Latin America, and Oceania. Researchers found that key sources include plastic mulch films, fertilizers, compost, and wastewater irrigation, and discuss strategies for pollution monitoring and control in farming systems.

2022 Environmental Advances 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution pattern and risk assessment of microplastics contamination in different agricultural systems

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across six sites in Coimbatore, India with distinct farming practices, finding microplastics in 81% of organic matter-removed samples. The study revealed that different agronomic inputs and land management practices produce distinct microplastic contamination profiles.

2024 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Soil: Inventories, Effect and Environmental Risks

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.

2025 Sustainability Sciences in Asia and Africa
Article Tier 2

Microplastics as contaminants in the soil environment: A mini-review

This mini-review examines microplastic contamination in soil environments, an area that has received far less attention than marine pollution. Researchers found that agricultural practices like plastic mulch use and sewage sludge application are major sources of soil microplastics. The study highlights that soil microplastics can harm plant growth, alter soil organisms, and potentially enter the food chain through crop uptake.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 710 citations
Article Tier 2

Analysis and Effects of Microplastics in the Agricultural Soils

This review summarizes current knowledge about microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, including how it gets there (mulch films, sewage sludge, irrigation) and what effects it has on soil health. The authors highlight the lack of standardized methods for sampling and testing soil, which limits understanding of the true extent of the problem.

2021 Proceedings of the World Congress on New Technologies
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in agricultural soils: sources, impacts, and mitigation strategies

This review summarizes how microplastics enter agricultural soils through wastewater irrigation, plastic mulch breakdown, and atmospheric deposition, where they alter soil structure, microbial communities, and water retention. The particles can also carry heavy metals and organic pollutants into the food chain, threatening both crop productivity and human health, making it important to reduce plastic use in farming and improve waste management.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agricultural Soil and Their Impact: A Review

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils through sources like plastic mulch films, sewage sludge, and fertilizers. The particles can affect soil structure, microbial activity, and plant health, with common polymer types including polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene found across farmland. The study emphasizes the need for better plastic waste management to protect agricultural ecosystems from growing microplastic contamination.

2024 Nature Environment and Pollution Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Tiny toxins, big problems: the hidden threat of microplastic in agroecosystems

This review examines the impacts of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, covering sources from plastic mulch and irrigation, effects on soil structure, water retention, microbial diversity, and nutrient cycling, and consequences for crop health and food safety.

2025 Plant Science Today
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystem: Sources and migration in soil environment

This review highlights that microplastic pollution in soils may be even more widespread than in oceans, entering farmland through plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and fertilizers. Microplastics in soil can transfer into the food chain through plants, raising concerns about long-term human exposure through the foods we eat.

2023 Chemosphere 252 citations