Papers

61,005 results
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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
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems: Global implications and sustainable solutions

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.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 182 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems: sources, transport, fate, mitigation, and remediation strategies

This review examines how microplastics from urban, agricultural, and industrial sources are building up in soils worldwide. Wind, water, and soil organisms transport these particles across landscapes, where they persist and can affect soil structure and the health of living things. The authors highlight that land-based microplastic pollution has received far less attention than ocean pollution, despite its potential risks to ecosystems and human health through the food chain.

2025 Euro-Mediterranean Journal for Environmental Integration 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution, sources, migration, influence and analytical methods of microplastics in soil ecosystems

This review covers the sources, movement patterns, environmental effects, and detection methods for microplastics in soil ecosystems worldwide. Researchers found that agricultural practices including plastic mulch films, sewage sludge application, and irrigation with treated wastewater are major contributors to soil microplastic contamination. The study notes that terrestrial microplastic pollution may actually exceed ocean contamination but has received far less research attention.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 126 citations
Article Tier 2

A global review on the abundance and threats of microplastics in soils to terrestrial ecosystem and human health

This review examines microplastic pollution levels across agricultural, roadside, urban, and landfill soils worldwide, finding wide variation but consistent contamination. Microplastics alter soil pH, density, and water movement, disrupt microbial communities, inhibit plant growth, and affect soil animals. For humans, the concern is that microplastics in soil can enter the food chain through crops and contaminated water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 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

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

Global concentrations of microplastic in soils, a review

This global review synthesized data from studies on microplastic concentrations in soils worldwide, finding contamination across diverse terrestrial environments with higher levels near urban areas and agricultural land. Terrestrial soils are estimated to contain far more microplastic than the world's oceans, making them a critical but understudied reservoir of plastic pollution.

2020 30 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

A discussion of microplastics in soil and risks for ecosystems and food chains

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in soils through agricultural practices, landfills, and wastewater, posing risks to ecosystems and food chains. Researchers found that while marine microplastic pollution has been well studied, terrestrial contamination remains poorly understood despite soil receiving more plastic waste than oceans. The study highlights how microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially transfer through the food chain to humans.

2022 Chemosphere 109 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 soils: a review of possible sources, analytical methods and ecological impacts

This review of over 60 studies examines the sources, global distribution, and analytical methods for microplastics in soil, finding that agricultural soils are particularly contaminated via sewage sludge application, plastic mulch, and atmospheric deposition. The authors call for standardized extraction and identification protocols to enable cross-study comparisons.

2020 Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology 242 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in agricultural soils: a new challenge not only for agro-environmental policy?

This review addresses microplastic pollution in agricultural soils, identifying farming practices like mulching and sludge application as significant sources and discussing potential impacts on soil health and food safety. It calls for both policy action and more research on microplastic behavior in terrestrial environments.

2019 AgEcon Search (University of Minnesota, USA) 5 citations
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

Microplastic pollution in Farmland soils: A review on types, sources, analytical methods, environmental and human health risks

This review synthesizes research on microplastic pollution in farmland soils, covering polymer types, sources from mulch films and sewage sludge, analytical detection methods, and effects on soil ecosystems and crop productivity.

2025 Tanzania Journal of Science
Article Tier 2

The extent and impacts of soil pollution by microplastics

This study examines the extent and impacts of soil pollution by microplastics, reviewing evidence of how microplastic particles accumulate in terrestrial environments and affect soil ecosystems, organisms, and agricultural systems.

2024 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Review Tier 2

Origin, Occurrence and Threats of Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: A Comprehensive Review

This review examined microplastic sources, occurrence, and ecological impacts in agricultural soils globally, identifying mulching films, sewage sludge, and fertilizers as major input pathways. The authors document harmful effects on soil microbiota, earthworms, and plant growth, and call for better monitoring and mitigation strategies.

2025 Preprints.org
Article Tier 2

Microplastic in Terrestrial Ecosystems and the Soil?

This review examined the occurrence and behavior of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems and soils, questioning how particles move through and accumulate in soils and calling for more research on land-based microplastic impacts.

2012 Environmental Science & Technology 1520 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: A critical review

This review summarizes what is known about microplastic contamination in land-based environments, covering sources, fate, and effects on soil and the organisms that depend on it. Microplastics in soil can interact with pesticides, heavy metals, and other pollutants, acting as carriers that move toxins through the food web and potentially up to humans. The authors note that compared to ocean research, the effects of microplastics on land ecosystems are much less studied and urgently need more attention.

2022 Environmental Research 348 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics in the soil environment

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.

2021 5 citations
Review Tier 2

Sources, pollution, and ecological impacts of soil microplastics-A review

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.

2025 Environmental chemistry and safety 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and Nanoplastics in Terrestrial Systems

This review summarizes the current understanding of micro- and nanoplastic contamination in terrestrial ecosystems, which have received far less research attention than aquatic environments. Researchers examined how these particles enter soils through agricultural practices, sewage sludge application, and atmospheric deposition, and how they affect soil organisms and plant growth. The study highlights that terrestrial systems may be a major reservoir of plastic pollution with ecological consequences that are only beginning to be understood.

2024 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Sludges and Soils: A Comprehensive Review on Distribution, Characteristics, and Effects

This review summarizes research on microplastics in sewage sludge and soil, noting that when contaminated sludge is used as fertilizer, it turns farmland into a major reservoir for microplastic pollution. The accumulated microplastics can alter soil properties, harm soil organisms, and potentially enter crops and groundwater, creating pathways for human exposure through food and drinking water.

2024 ChemEngineering 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Soils as a Source of Pollution and Environmental Risk

This book chapter reviews microplastics as a soil pollutant, covering sources, distribution, persistence, and ecological risks in terrestrial environments. Agricultural soils are particularly at risk due to plastic mulch film use, sewage sludge application, and atmospheric deposition.

2022 ˜The œhandbook of environmental chemistry 4 citations