Papers

61,005 results
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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

Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact

This systematic review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down over time and release microplastics into farm soil. The films improve crop growth but create lasting environmental damage as plastic fragments accumulate and alter soil properties. The findings underscore the importance of developing truly biodegradable alternatives to protect farmland from microplastic pollution.

2025 Figshare
Systematic Review Tier 1

Environmental fate and effects of mulch films on agricultural soil: A systematic review from application to residual impact

This systematic review traces the full lifecycle of plastic mulch films used in farming, from application to breakdown in soil. While these films boost crop yields, they leave behind persistent residues that fragment into microplastics, potentially contaminating soil and groundwater. The review highlights the need for biodegradable alternatives to reduce long-term microplastic accumulation in agricultural land.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Impact of plastic mulching as a major source of microplastics in agroecosystems

This review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down into microplastics over time, making farmland a major source of soil microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, affect plant growth, and be taken up by crops that humans eat. The study highlights the need for better end-of-life management of agricultural plastics and more research on how farm-sourced microplastics enter the food chain.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 242 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Mulch‐Derived Microplastics in Agricultural Soil Systems

This review examines how plastic mulch films widely used in agriculture degrade via photodegradation, chemical processes, and microbial activity to form microplastics, and discusses how these microplastics affect soil properties, plant growth, soil microbiomes, and broader agricultural ecosystem health.

2023 4 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

The Plastic Paradox: A Systematic Review of Mulch-Derived Microplastic Pollution and the Sustainability of Arid Zone Agriculture

This systematic review examines the 'plastic paradox' in farming — plastic mulch boosts crop yields in dry climates but leaves behind microplastics that accumulate in soil over time. These soil microplastics can alter water flow, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter the food chain through crops.

2026 Open Science Framework
Article Tier 2

Agricultural mulch films as soil microplastic contamination factor

This review examines agricultural mulch films as a source of soil microplastic contamination, summarizing evidence on degradation rates, particle accumulation in soil profiles, and impacts on soil properties and biological communities over time.

2024
Article Tier 2

Plastic Mulch Films in Agriculture: Their Use, Environmental Problems, Recycling and Alternatives

This review examines how plastic mulch films used in farming break down into microplastics and nanoplastics that contaminate soil, harm soil organisms, and can enter the human body through the food chain. While developed countries are making progress with recycling and biodegradable alternatives, the health effects of nanoplastics from agricultural plastic remain largely unknown. Better collection, recycling, and alternative materials are needed to reduce this growing source of plastic pollution.

2023 Environments 68 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

Plastic mulching, and occurrence, incorporation, degradation, and impacts of polyethylene microplastics in agroecosystems

This review examines how plastic mulch films used in agriculture break down into polyethylene microplastics and what happens to them in farm ecosystems. Researchers describe how microorganisms colonize these particles and can eventually break down the plastic molecules, but also how the microplastics alter soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling. The study highlights plastic mulching as a major source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils worldwide.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agriculture- a Review

This review examines the growing presence of microplastics in agricultural environments, covering their sources from plastic mulch films and irrigation water, their effects on soil health and crop quality, and the implications for food safety and sustainable agriculture.

2025 International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research
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
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

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
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
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 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

Hazards Associated with Micro/Nano Plastics in Agricultural Soils

This review examines the hazards of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils, where plastics enter through mulching films, irrigation with contaminated water, and fertilizer application. The authors discuss how these particles can alter soil structure, affect microbial communities, and potentially transfer into crops that humans consume. The study highlights that agricultural soil contamination with microplastics is an underrecognized risk to both ecosystem health and food safety.

2025 1 citations
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: 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 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

Nano-microplastic and agro-ecosystems: a mini-review

This review examines the growing problem of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural ecosystems, where sources include plastic mulch films, organic waste amendments, and atmospheric deposition. The study suggests that these plastic particles negatively affect soil health, microbial communities, and plant development, raising concerns about long-term impacts on food production systems.

2023 Frontiers in Plant Science 35 citations
Review Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in the agricultural soil—mitigation strategies, heavy metals contamination, and impact on human health: a review

This review examines how microplastics contaminate agricultural soil through plastic mulch, irrigation water, and fertilizers, then alter soil chemistry, harm beneficial microorganisms, and reduce crop productivity. The authors highlight that microplastics can accumulate in crops and enter the human food chain, posing risks to food safety and human health, particularly through daily food and water consumption.

2024 Plant Cell Reports 81 citations