Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Forest soils accumulate microplastics through atmospheric deposition

Researchers quantified microplastics in forest soil layers and atmospheric throughfall deposition to understand how microplastics accumulate in forest ecosystems. They found that microplastics initially enriched in decomposed litter layers before accumulating in deeper mineral soil through natural litter turnover processes. The study suggests that forests act as good indicators of atmospheric microplastic pollution, with most forest soil microplastics originating from atmospheric deposition rather than other sources.

2025 Communications Earth & Environment 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying, and assessing the impact of, microplastics in terrestrial samples

Researchers developed methodologies to quantify microplastics (1 to 1000 micrometers) in terrestrial woodland environments, addressing the significant knowledge gap about microplastic concentrations and ecological impacts in soil ecosystems compared to the more extensively studied aquatic compartments.

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

Microplastics in ecosystems: their implications and mitigation pathways

This review examined the implications of microplastic pollution across terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems and outlined mitigation pathways to address this emerging environmental threat.

2022 Environmental Science Advances 143 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

Source, migration and toxicology of microplastics in soil

This review compiles research on the sources, movement, and toxic effects of microplastics in soil ecosystems, an area that has received less attention than aquatic pollution. Researchers describe how microplastics enter soil through agricultural practices, wastewater, and atmospheric deposition, then transfer through food chains to affect organisms at multiple levels. The study identifies major knowledge gaps and proposes management strategies to mitigate the ecological and human health risks of soil microplastic contamination.

2020 Environment International 1141 citations
Article Tier 2

Micro Plastic Pollution in Soil Environment: A Comprehensive Review

This comprehensive review covers sources, distribution, degradation pathways, and ecological effects of microplastics in soil environments, highlighting threats to soil fauna, microbiota, and plant growth.

2024 Journal of Scientific Research and Reports 1 citations
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

Microplastics in soil and freshwater: Understanding sources, distribution, potential impacts, and regulations for management

This review synthesizes knowledge on microplastics in soil and freshwater systems, covering their sources, transport mechanisms, ecological and health impacts, and current regulatory frameworks for managing plastic pollution in terrestrial and aquatic environments.

2022 Science Progress 31 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

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
Article Tier 2

Sources, migration, accumulation and influence of microplastics in terrestrial plant communities

This review examined microplastic sources, migration, and accumulation in terrestrial plant communities, highlighting how microplastics affect plant growth, soil properties, and ecosystem functions at the community level rather than just individual plants.

2021 Environmental and Experimental Botany 144 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination in soil environment – a review

This review examines the sources, transport, degradation, and ecological impacts of microplastic contamination in soil environments. The study suggests that soil acts as both a major sink for microplastics and a conduit transporting them to aquatic systems, and that microplastics can negatively affect soil organisms and biogeochemistry, underscoring the need for more research on terrestrial microplastic pollution.

2021 Soil Science Annual 95 citations
Article Tier 2

Getting occurrence, distribution, fate and detrimental effects of microplastic in forests into focus: expectations and challenges

This commentary draws attention to the understudied issue of microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in forest ecosystems, which cover over 32% of global land surface. Researchers note that while considerable research has focused on microplastics in aquatic systems and farmland, forests and their soil systems have received comparatively little attention. The study highlights growing evidence that micro- and nanoplastics can transfer from soil into plants, raising concerns about the safety of forestry products.

2025 Frontiers in Environmental Science 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying, and assessing the impact of, microplastics in terrestrial samples

Researchers aimed to develop effective methodologies for quantifying and assessing the ecological impact of microplastics (1-1000 µm) in terrestrial environments such as woodlands, which have been understudied compared to aquatic and sediment systems. The study sought to fill knowledge gaps about microplastic concentrations and effects in terrestrial ecosystems to inform policy development.

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

Mind the gap: forest soils as a hidden hub for global micro- and nanoplastic pollution

Researchers examined the underappreciated role of forest soils as a global sink for micro- and nanoplastics, noting that forest canopies can intercept airborne plastic particles that then accumulate in the soil below. Despite covering a third of Earth's land surface, forest soil plastic pollution remains largely unstudied, leaving a major gap in understanding where environmental plastics ultimately end up.

2023 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in ecological system: Their prevalence, health effects, and remediation

This review provides an overview of microplastic prevalence across different ecosystems and their potential effects on environmental and human health. The researchers discuss how microplastics enter water, soil, and food chains, and examine the various biological effects documented in organisms. They also review current remediation strategies being developed to address microplastic contamination.

2024 Environmental Nanotechnology Monitoring & Management 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental fate and impacts of microplastics in soil ecosystems: Progress and perspective

This review summarized knowledge on microplastics in soil environments, covering occurrence across agricultural, industrial, and urban soils, transport pathways, and ecological risks to soil organisms and plant communities. The authors identify key data gaps and methodological challenges that currently limit understanding of microplastic fate and impact in terrestrial systems.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 509 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics indirectly affect soil respiration of different-aged forest by altering microbial communities and carbon metabolism

Researchers explored how microplastics affect soil respiration in forests of different ages by altering microbial community structure and carbon metabolism. The study found microplastic levels ranging from approximately 600 to 3,858 items per sample across forest ages, and that their presence indirectly influences soil carbon cycling processes.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in terrestrial environments: Reviewing current understanding to determine the positive and negative aspects of soil

This review examines microplastics in terrestrial soils, covering their sources, distribution, and effects on soil health and organisms. It finds both negative impacts on soil function and organisms, as well as some neutral or context-dependent effects, and identifies key areas for future research.

2023 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
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

Microplastic Pollution: An Emerging Threat to Terrestrial Plants and Insights into Its Remediation Strategies

This review highlights the emerging threat of microplastic pollution to terrestrial plants and agroecosystems, summarizing sources, interactions with soil and crops, and potential remediation strategies for safe agricultural practices.

2022 Plants 82 citations
Article Tier 2

Soils in distress: The impacts and ecological risks of (micro)plastic pollution in the terrestrial environment

This review examines how microplastics affect soil ecosystems, including their transport into soils, changes they undergo in the environment, and their interactions with soil organisms. The effects depend heavily on the type, shape, size, and amount of plastic particles present. Understanding these impacts is important because soil contamination with microplastics can affect food production and ultimately human exposure through the food chain.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 93 citations
Article Tier 2

ИСТОЧНИКИ И ПУТИ ТРАНСЛОКАЦИИ МИКРОПЛАСТИКА В ПОЧВЕ И РАСТЕНИЯХ

This review examines sources and translocation pathways of microplastics in soil and plants across agricultural and other terrestrial ecosystems, discussing how microplastics sorb heavy metals and other pollutants and reviewing evidence for their bioaccumulation in agricultural products and implications for human health.

2022 Проблемы агрохимии и экологии