Papers

61,005 results
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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

El plástico, características y principales impactos. Su uso en la agricultura, recomendaciones para su manejo

This review examines the characteristics, environmental impacts, and agricultural uses of plastics, describing how plastic production reached an estimated 367 million tons in 2020 and providing recommendations for managing plastic waste in farming contexts to reduce soil and ecosystem contamination.

2025 Dialnet (Universidad de la Rioja)
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
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

Análisis de la agricultura protegida y sus impactos socioambientales en tres municipios de la Sierra Nevada de Puebla, México

This Spanish-language study examines the expansion of plastic greenhouse agriculture in three municipalities in the Sierra Nevada of Puebla, Mexico, and its social and environmental implications. Plastic mulch films used in agriculture are a significant source of microplastic contamination in farmland soils.

2023 Religación
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

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
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

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

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

Environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture

This review discusses the environmental health implications of plastic use in agriculture, including soil microplastic accumulation from mulch films, microplastic uptake by crops, and potential entry into the food chain. The authors recommend shifting toward biodegradable alternatives and tightening regulations on agricultural plastic disposal.

2024 Open Access Government
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

The agricultural plastic paradox: Feeding more, harming more?

This review examines the trade-off between the agricultural benefits of plastic film mulch, which helps feed an estimated 85 million additional people in China alone, and the growing microplastic contamination it causes in farmland soils. Researchers found that current studies on the effects of mulch-derived microplastics use inconsistent methods and often unrealistically high concentrations, making it difficult to assess the true risks. The study calls for standardized research approaches to better understand whether the agricultural benefits of plastic mulch outweigh its environmental costs.

2025 Environment International 14 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

Sustainable Plasticulture in Chinese Agriculture: a Review of Challenges and Routes to Achieving Long-term Food and Ecosecurity

This review examines the challenges of plasticulture in Chinese agriculture, where macro-, micro-, and nanoplastic pollution from mulch films threatens long-term soil health and crop production. The authors propose holistic solutions targeting plastic production, use, and waste management to protect food security.

2023 Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Mapping of Agricultural Plastics Pollution in Soil: case study of Italy, France and Norway

Researchers developed an atlas quantifying and localizing agricultural plastic waste in Italy, France, and Norway, finding that plastic mulch films and other agricultural plastics accumulate in soils and generate microplastic contamination that varies significantly by crop type, climate, and waste management practices.

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

Current research trends on microplastics pollution and impacts on agro-ecosystems: A short review

This review summarizes current research on microplastic pollution in agricultural ecosystems, covering sources, effects, toxicity, and potential solutions. Researchers found that while most microplastic studies have focused on marine environments, agricultural soils are also significantly contaminated through sources like plastic mulch film, sewage sludge, and irrigation water, with potential impacts on soil health and crop production.

2021 Separation Science and Technology 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Advances in the Sustainable Use of Plastics in Horticulture—Perspectives, Innovations, Opportunities, and Limitations

This review assesses the sustainability of plastic use in horticulture — including mulch films, crop covers, and polytunnels — and evaluates options to reduce, reuse, recycle, or replace them. It matters for microplastics because agricultural plastics left in fields fragment into microplastics that contaminate soil and crops, and the review identifies where biodegradable or alternative materials offer the most practical substitution.

2023 Sustainability 6 citations