Microplastics pollution modulating soil biological health – A review. In: Soil Use and Management

Abstract
Microplastics (MPs) reach the soil environment through the application of recycled
water, biosolids, and compost and the in-situ weathering of plastic mulch
used in agriculture. This review provides an overview of the sources of MP input
to soil and their interactions with soil biota, thereby impacting soil biological
health. MPs contain various chemical additives and can be ingested by soil biota,
thereby impacting their activity and function. MPs also serve as a vector for inorganic
and organic contaminants. These chemical additives and environmental
contaminants can be released into soil porewater during the weathering of
MPs in soil and impact soil biota. Overall, MPs can also alter soil’s physical and
chemical properties thereby impacting the habitat for soil microorganisms. Soil
microorganisms can use MPs as a carbon source and porous habitat for proliferation.
Future research needs to focus on the genomic and functional diversity of
soil microbes as impacted by MP contamination, thereby enabling us to develop
strategies to mitigate the impacts of MP on soil biological health.