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

Abstract

Decades ago, microplastic presence was corroborated in aquatic ecosystem, but revelations from current studies indicate microplastics (MPs) as ubiquitous environmental concern and demonstrate our plasticized life, because of microplastic existent in food, air, water, and soil. Existence of MPs in terrestrial ecosystem is long recognized now and additionally, all the evidence that has been found for microplastic entering the farm soils indicated that they are gradually accumulating in the agricultural soil. While previous studies focused extensively on marine systems, the increasing toxicity of MPs in agricultural cultivated soils and the aspects of MPs being accumulated causing bio-toxification are being looked upon presently. They potentially damage the yield of crop plants making their roots unable to uptake water and nutrients from the soil by accumulating near the roots. MPs have already invaded the terrestrial food chain and they have been detected in excreta of livestock animals along with earthworms and crop plants. MPs are abundant in farm soil that has interacted with sewage-sludge, plastic mulching sheets, organic fertilizers, and vermicompost for a long duration. This review focuses on current evidence of microplastic accumulation in farm soil, thereby enlightening the potential damages to crop plants, soil properties, soil microbes while ultimately reaching humans via the food chain. It also covers the recent advances for soil microplastic extraction, treatment, and possible bioremediation strategies.

Microplastics and Nano-Plastics: From Initiation to Termination

“…According to some reports, the prevalence of MNPs in the digestive systems of microorganisms is owing to their tiny size and shape, which enables them to be readily eaten and collected in the digestive systems of non-discriminating feeders that mistaken for food (Wang et al, 2020a). Understanding the environmental behavior of MNPs is crucial, since the aquatic with the soil environment is the main sink of these particles (Benson et al, 2022;Yadav et al, 2022;Yuan et al, 2022;Zhang et al, 2022).…”

Micro- and Nano-Plastics Contaminants in the Environment: Sources, Fate, Toxicity, Detection, Remediation, and Sustainable Perspectives

“…Fungal degradation also plays a crucial role in the biodegradation of plastics. Also, fungi enzymatically convert the metabolic intermediate into metabolic byproducts [208,209]. Furthermore, there are some criteria to degrade MPs with fungal degradation which are surface area, molecular weight, hydrophilicity or hydrophobicity, crystallinity, functional groups, and chemical structure [210].…”

Microplastic Pollution in EU Farmland Soils: Preliminary Findings from Agricultural Soils (Southwestern Poland)

“…Microplastic (MP) presence in agricultural soils has recently gained more and more attention from researchers and societies due to the unknown risks related to its presence in soil environment and possible transfer in the food chain. Soil represents a large reservoir of microplastics [4], with many different sources such as atmospheric deposition [5], contaminated water courses, plastic mulching [6], fertilizer coatings irrigation [7], flooding, littering, street runoff and soil amendment application, e.g., compost and sewage sludge [8]. Both primary and secondary microplastics can be found in soil; however, the largest pool is represented by synthetic textile fibers from washing and drying clothes [9], wear and tear from car tires [10] and personal care products (PCPs)…”