Plastic in agricultural soils – A global risk for groundwater systems and drinking water supplies? – A review

Microplastics in the Environment: Intake through the Food Web, Human Exposure and Toxicological Effects

“…The estimated amount of annual plastics discharged to the soil is much higher than that released in the oceans [ 81 ], so the terrestrial environment can be considered an important sink for microplastics [ 82 , 83 ]. However, microplastic pollution in the soil environment has been largely overlooked for several years [ 84 , 85 ], gaining attention since 2012, when Rilling [ 86 ] identified the possibility of microplastic occurrence in the terrestrial environment and the need for studies for their estimation. The low number of investigations is probably due to the unavailability of suitable analytical methods for microplastics in soils [ 87 ].…”

New Pollution Challenges in Groundwater and Wastewater Due to COVID-19

“…Many studies have focused on the pollution of groundwater and its remediation (e.g., Haris et al 2020), which may depend on advanced technologies and its sustainability. Recent reports that address these issues include: (Balestrini et al 2021) and 12-Assessing how the use of plastic in farming processes may affect water quality; accordingly, aquifers and drinking water supplies should be protected from plastic and pesticide contaminants and thus reduce potential human health hazards (Wanner, 2021).…”

Synthesis and characterization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) precursors and potential degradation products: Toxicity study and application in discovery of novel PETases

“…PET debris is often eaten by fish and other marine creatures and as such enters the food chain (Webb et al, 2013). On the other side, plastic in agricultural J o u r n a l P r e -p r o o f soils poses a risk for drinking water supplies (Wanner, 2021). The first evidence of microplastic in human placenta was reported recently (Ragusa et al, 2021).…”