Papers

61,005 results
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Systematic Review Tier 1

Plasticultura en México: Impactos Ambientales y Desafíos para la Sostenibilidad

This systematic review analyzes the environmental impact of agricultural plastic use in Mexico, where over 45,000 hectares use plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems. Poor management of this agricultural plastic waste contributes to microplastic pollution in soils, which can affect crop quality and potentially enter the food chain.

2026 Revista Científica Arbitrada de la Fundación MenteClara
Article Tier 2

Plastic Use in Agriculture: Balancing Benefits, Environmental Impacts, and Sustainable Solutions

This review examines the benefits and environmental risks of plasticulture, covering how plastic mulches, greenhouse covers, and irrigation systems boost yields while generating microplastic soil contamination, and proposing sustainable alternatives and policy frameworks.

2024 International Journal of Environment and Climate Change 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro plastics in soil ecosystem - A review of sources, fate, and ecological impact

This review covers sources, fate, and ecological impacts of microplastics in soil ecosystems, finding that global plastic production has increased from 1.7 million tonnes in 1950 to over 320 million tonnes annually, with microplastics now detected in soils across all land use types.

2021 Plant Soil and Environment 62 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Plastics in Modern Life: Benefits, Risks and Environmental Consequences

This review examines the dual role of plastics in modern society — their economic benefits alongside environmental and public health risks — and surveys strategies for more sustainable plastic production and disposal.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Plastic mulching in agriculture. Trading short-term agronomic benefits for long-term soil degradation?

This study examined plastic mulch use in agriculture, arguing that short-term crop benefits come with long-term costs as mulch fragments accumulate in soil as microplastics and disrupt soil structure, biology, and water dynamics.

2016 The Science of The Total Environment 1452 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural plastics and environmental sustainability: Assessment and remediation strategies

This review examines the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of agricultural plastics including mulch films, irrigation pipes, and greenhouse covers, and evaluates management strategies such as recycling, composting, biodegradable alternatives, and circular economy models for reducing microplastic accumulation.

2025 International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development
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

Microplastics: Environmental Issues and Their Management

This review covers the environmental hazards of microplastics, their accumulation in soils, water bodies, and living organisms, and management strategies for reducing plastic waste. Global plastic production has grown from 2 million tons in 1950 to 380 million tons annually, with much ending up as persistent environmental pollution.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Plastics in Modern Life: Benefits, Risks and Environmental Consequences

This review examines the dual role of plastics in modern society — their economic and practical benefits alongside growing environmental and health concerns — calling for a balanced approach to plastic use and waste management.

2025 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics accumulation in agricultural soil: Evidence for the presence, potential effects, extraction, and current bioremediation approaches

This review examines the accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulching and irrigation, discussing their effects on soil properties and crop growth, along with current bioremediation approaches for removing soil microplastics.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Employing a systems approach to unravelling the complexities of the agricultural plastics value chain

Researchers used a systems analysis approach to map the full lifecycle of plastics used in agriculture — from production to disposal — and found that while these materials boost crop yields, they create serious sustainability problems including microplastic accumulation in soil and chemical leaching. The study identifies critical gaps in data, policy, and infrastructure needed to manage agricultural plastic waste and transition toward more sustainable alternatives.

2024 Journal of Cleaner Production 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Integrated Recycling and The Impact of Plastic Waste from Industry and Agriculture on The Environment

This review examined the environmental impacts of plastic waste from industrial and agricultural sources and assessed integrated recycling strategies for reducing those impacts. The paper discussed how plastic waste prevention, collection, and recycling can minimize pollution and climate contributions from the growing global plastic waste stream.

2024 Qubahan Academic Journal 4 citations
Article Tier 2

From plasticulture to pollution: addressing disposal and recycling challenges in egyptian farming systems

Researchers surveyed 300 farmers across three Egyptian governorates to investigate how agricultural plastic film — including mulch and covers — is used and disposed of in Egyptian farming systems. The study identified widespread unsafe disposal practices and limited recyclability as major contributors to plastic pollution in agricultural landscapes.

2025 Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Macro and microplastics in the soil: abundance, characterization, identification, and interactions under different land uses in an agricultural sub-basin

Researchers examined the abundance, characterization, identification, and interactions of macro- and microplastics in soils under different land uses within an agricultural sub-basin, assessing how land-use patterns influence plastic pollution distribution and potential interactions with the soil environment.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

A Comprehensive Review of Plastics in Agricultural Soils: A Case Study of Castilla y León (Spain) Farmlands

This review examines plastic pollution in agricultural soils of Castilla y Leon, a major farming region in Spain, finding that agricultural practices introduce substantial plastic residues into arable, irrigated, and greenhouse soils daily. Analysis of government data showed that plastic waste from intensive agriculture reached nearly 50,000 tonnes in 2020 and that current waste management systems are insufficient, posing risks to soil health, the food chain, and ultimately human well-being.

2023 Land 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastics can be used more sustainably in agriculture

Researchers reviewed how plastics used in farming — from mulch films to storage bins — are building up in soils worldwide, and mapped out practical strategies to curb the problem. They conclude that while plastics can't be fully replaced yet without harming food security, smarter use, better recycling, and biodegradable alternatives are essential steps forward.

2023 Communications Earth & Environment 187 citations
Article Tier 2

Prospective Scenarios for Addressing the Agricultural Plastic Waste Issue: Results of a Territorial Analysis

A study on agricultural plastic waste assessed prospective management scenarios combining stakeholder input with life cycle analysis to identify sustainable pathways for reducing farm plastic pollution. Results highlighted the need for integrated approaches spanning plastic reduction, reuse, and improved collection systems.

2023 Applied Sciences 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic Pollution in Agriculture as a Threat to Food Security, the Ecosystem, and the Environment: An Overview

This review examines how plastic products used in agriculture -- from mulch films to greenhouse covers -- contribute to microplastic pollution in soil, water, and crops. While plastics help boost crop production and food quality, their breakdown releases microplastics that can be taken up by plants and enter the food chain. The paper discusses strategies to reduce plastic pollution in farming, which is important because agricultural microplastics represent a direct pathway to human dietary exposure.

2024 Agronomy 177 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

Environmental potential risk of microplastic pollution due to agricultural plastics: a case study in Apulia region

Researchers assessed the environmental risk of microplastic pollution from agricultural plastic waste in the Apulia region of Italy, examining how the breakdown of agricultural plastics at end-of-life contributes to soil and ecosystem contamination.

2025 CINECA IRIS Institutional Research Information System (University of Bari Aldo Moro)
Article Tier 2

Contaminación del suelo por microplásticos: panorama actual

This review synthesizes current knowledge on soil contamination by microplastics as an emerging pollutant, analyzing 96 peer-reviewed studies from databases including Scopus and Web of Science to characterize sources, distribution patterns, and ecological effects of microplastics in terrestrial soil matrices.

2022 PÄDI Boletín Científico de Ciencias Básicas e Ingenierías del ICBI 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Management of agricultural plastic waste in Portugal to prevent microplastics

Researchers examined the management of agricultural plastic waste in Portugal, assessing how mismanagement of plastics used in farming has led to soil contamination with microplastics and identifying practices that reduce plastic fragmentation and environmental release. The study found gaps between best practices and actual farm-level waste management that result in preventable plastic accumulation in agricultural soils.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Plastics in soils: impacts on agriculture and food

This work reviews the impacts of plastic pollution in soils on agricultural productivity and food safety, examining how plastic particles and associated chemicals affect soil health, crop growth, and food quality. The publication is part of the international scientific literature on plastic contamination of agricultural systems.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts

This comprehensive review of plastic particles in soil covered sources, occurrence, analytical detection methods, and ecological impacts, identifying gaps in knowledge about terrestrial plastic fate and effects compared to the more extensively studied marine environment.

2021 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 121 citations