Microplastics in agroecosystems-impacts on ecosystem functions and food chain

Okeke, Emmanuel Sunday; Okoye, Charles Obinwanne; Atakpa, Edidiong Okokon; Ita, R. E.; Nyaruaba, Raphael; Mgbechidinma, Chiamaka Linda; Akan, Otobong Donald

doi:10.1016/j.resconrec.2021.105961

Cited by 121 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 171 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…The sources of MPs in agricultural soils mainly include soil amendments application, plastic film mulching, fertilizer and pesticide packaging wastes, wastewater irrigation, runoff, and atmospheric deposition (Horton et al, 2017;Chae and An 2018;He et al, 2019;Lu et al, 2019;Chen W. L. et al, 2020;Zhou B. et al, 2020;Han et al, 2021;Okeke et al, 2022).…”

Section: Source and Migration Of Agricultural Soil Microplastic(s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…These chemical additives easily leach into the soil, resulting in adverse effects on plant growth. These adverse effects increase as the adsorption capacity of MPs increases, depending on the shape, polymer structure, degradation, additives, concentration and location of MPs (Lozano and Rillig, 2020;Zhou et al, 2021b;Okeke et al, 2022).…”

Section: Direct Toxicity Of Contaminants Present In Microplastic(s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MPs can also pass through the intestinal barrier and enter the circulatory system, including the liver and spleen (Teles et al, 2020). In addition, MP additives, such as bisphenols and phthalates, are related to endocrine disorders and many health problems, such as diabetes, cancer, and obesity (Okeke et al, 2022). MPs in agricultural soil can be transferred to humans through food, respiration, and contact, causing respiratory tract irritation, asthma, obesity, gastrointestinal diseases, and cardiovascular diseases, which pose a serious threat to human health.…”

Section: Risks Of Microplastic(s) To Human Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…MPs affect the normal metabolic activities of soil organisms through physical and chemical toxic effects and multiple carriers, affect ecosystem health and service functions, and pose potential threats to human food safety, thereby causing harm to human health(Senathirajah et al, 2021).At present, the impact of MPs on soil ecosystem has become a research hotspot. Recent findings revealed the prevalence and persistence of MPs in soil, and the effects of MPs on soil physical, chemical and biological properties, and the toxicological effects of MPs on the growth, reproduction, survival, and immunity level of the soil biota (animals, plants, and microorganisms)Hartmann et al, 2022;Okeke et al, 2022;Ren et al, 2022). However, overall research on MP pollution in agricultural soils is still in an embryonic stage, and few comprehensive reviews systematically summarize the ecological and environmental risks of MPs in agricultural soils.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Microplastics as an Emerging Environmental Pollutant in Agricultural Soils: Effects on Ecosystems and Human Health

Zhang

Tan

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Microplastics are <5 mm in size, made up of diverse chemical components, and come from multiple sources. Due to extensive use and unreasonable disposal of plastics, microplastics have become a global environmental issue and have aroused widespread concern about their potential ecological risks. This review introduces the sources, distribution and migration of microplastics in agricultural soil ecosystems. The effects of microplastics on soil physicochemical properties and nutrient cycling are also discussed. Microplastics can alter a series of key soil biogeochemical processes by changing their characteristics, resulting in multiple effects on the activities and functions of soil microorganisms. The effects of microplastics on soil animals and plants, the combined effects of microplastics and coexisting pollutants (organic pollutants and heavy metals), and their potential risks to human health are also discussed. Finally, prevention and control strategies of microplastic pollution in agricultural soil ecosystems are put forward, and knowledge gaps and future research suggestions about microplastic pollution are given. This review improves the understanding of environmental behavior of microplastics in agricultural soil ecosystems, and provides a theoretical reference for a better assessment of the ecological and environmental risks of microplastics.

show abstract

Section: Source and Migration Of Agricultural Soil Microplastic(s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Direct Toxicity Of Contaminants Present In Microplastic(s)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Risks Of Microplastic(s) To Human Healthmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Microplastics as an Emerging Environmental Pollutant in Agricultural Soils: Effects on Ecosystems and Human Health

Zhang

Tan

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…The MP contamination in agricultural soils will alter plant's growth and developments, disrupt organisms' digestive/root system, disperse toxic compounds, etc. exerting adverse impacts on soil ecosystems and human health through food chains (Huerta Lwanga et al, 2017;Zhu et al, 2018;Okeke et al, 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application

Yang

Yan

et al. 2022

Preprint

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The application of organic fertilizers has been suspected as an important source of microplastic (MP) pollution in agricultural soils. However, limited data have been reported regarding the quantity and characteristics of MPs in organic fertilizers, giving rise to the difficulties in their risk assessment. This study investigated the occurrence of MPs in 23 commercial organic fertilizers and 2 farm composts, covering different raw materials and treatment processes. The average MP concentration in the commercial organic fertilizers was 9210.4 ± 1743.1 items/kg, significantly lower than that in farm composts (24344.1 ± 2697.2 items/kg). Among commercial organic fertilizers, the MP loads varied significantly with the source materials and their processing. Organic fertilizers derived solely or proportionally from plant-derived materials through mechanical shredding and sieving had lower MP abundances. The polymer sizes, morphotypes, and colors of MPs in studied samples were mainly < 3 mm, fiber, and black, respectively. The variations in the MP characteristics implied their diverse sources. This study provided a detailed assessment of MP accumulation in organic fertilizers, and confirmed their significance to the MP pollution in terrestrial ecosystem. The results also highlighted the importance of establishing standards to regulate the contents of plastics in raw materials and end products and the treatment processes for the manufacture, thus ensuring the safe application of organic fertilizers.

show abstract