Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Current research trends on plastic pollution and ecological impacts on the soil ecosystem: A review

This review examines the current state of research on plastic pollution in soil ecosystems, an area that has received far less attention than marine plastic contamination. Researchers found that agricultural practices, sewage sludge application, and plastic mulch use are major sources of soil microplastic pollution, with earthworms being the most commonly studied organisms for assessing ecological impacts. The study calls for more research into how microplastics affect soil biodiversity, nutrient cycling, and long-term soil health.

2018 Environmental Pollution 1096 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on soil ecosystems: A review

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in soil from sources like sewage sludge, agricultural plastic mulch, and wastewater, and how they affect soil ecosystems. Evidence indicates that microplastics alter soil physical and chemical properties, disrupt microbial communities and enzyme activity, and can harm plant growth and soil organisms. The authors highlight that soil microplastic pollution has received far less research attention compared to aquatic environments, despite its potential consequences for agriculture and food safety.

2024 International Journal of Research in Agronomy 2 citations
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

What Do We Know About the Effects of Microplastics on Soil?

This review examines the effects of microplastics on soil ecosystems, covering how mulching, wastewater irrigation, sludge application, and atmospheric deposition introduce microplastics to soil, where they alter physicochemical properties, affect microbial communities, and carry co-pollutants.

2023 3 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

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

Microplastics as Emerging Soil Pollutants

This review covers how microplastics enter and accumulate in soils, their effects on soil health, microbial communities, soil fauna, and plant growth, and the implications of widespread soil plastic contamination for ecosystem function.

2024
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on ecological effects of microplastics on soil environment

This review summarizes recent advances in understanding the ecological effects of microplastics on soil environments. Researchers found that soils serve as major sinks for microplastics, which can alter soil properties, affect plant growth, disrupt soil microbial communities, and interact with other pollutants. The study highlights that terrestrial microplastic pollution may be even more pervasive than aquatic contamination and warrants greater research attention.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 322 citations
Article Tier 2

Research Progress on Source Analysis, Ecological Effects, and Separation Technology of Soil Microplastics

This review synthesizes recent progress on soil microplastic sources (primarily agricultural plastic mulch and wastewater irrigation), ecological impacts on soil structure and microbial communities, and available separation and detection technologies for assessing contamination.

2025 Microplastics
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

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

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

Effect of microplastics on soil microbial community and microbial degradation of microplastics in soil: A review

This review examines how microplastics affect soil microbial communities and the potential for microbes to degrade plastic particles in soil environments. The study highlights that soil acts as a major sink for microplastics from sources like sewage sludge, agricultural mulch, and wastewater, and identifies key knowledge gaps including the need for better monitoring of microplastic sources and exploration of microbial biodegradation potential.

2023 Environmental Engineering Research 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the Impact of Micro-plastics on Soil Health and Ecosystem Dynamics: A Comprehensive Review

This review examines how microplastics affect soil health, finding that they alter soil structure, water retention, and the organisms that live in soil. Microplastics can carry toxic substances into soil and interact with other pollutants to amplify harmful effects on earthworms and soil microbes. Since healthy soil is essential for growing safe food, microplastic contamination of agricultural land could have long-term consequences for the food supply and human health.

2024 Journal of Experimental Biology and Agricultural Sciences 15 citations
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

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

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
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

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

Microplastic pollution in agriculture soil: An updated review

This review provides an updated overview of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, covering sources including plastic mulching, sewage irrigation, contaminated rainwater, and atmospheric deposition. Researchers highlight how microplastics alter soil structure, fertility, and microbial diversity, with potential implications for crop health and food safety. The study calls for development of cost-effective detection methods for rapid identification of microplastics in soil systems.

2025 World Journal of Advanced Engineering Technology and Sciences 1 citations
Article Tier 2

The crux of microplastics in soil - a review

This review examined the sources, transport pathways, and ecological impacts of microplastics specifically in agricultural soils, where plastic mulch films, sewage sludge application, and irrigation are key inputs. The authors identify food security and soil ecosystem function as the most pressing concerns and call for targeted research on microplastic-soil-crop interactions.

2022 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 19 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 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

Soil under stress: The importance of soil life and how it is influenced by (micro)plastic pollution

This review examines how plastic pollution in soil disrupts soil organisms and microorganisms that regulate essential ecosystem functions, finding that plastic alters soil chemistry, physical structure, and microbial communities in ways that threaten primary production and carbon cycling.

2022 Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 78 citations