Soil Microplastic Pollution and its Remediation: An Overview

Abstract

The global annual production of plastics increases year by year. The problem of plastic pollution comes from using plastic in virtually all our life activities. Thus, plastic pollution affects freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems. Microplastics have received considerable attention in aquatic ecosystems, but much less in the soil ecosystem. The use of plastic in agriculture is called agri-plastics and is used as an alternative to glass, paper, and mulch to achieve better crop yields and quality. Microplastic results from breaking plastic into small pieces (<5 mm) and can come from many different sources. Soil pollution by microplastics has been reported to negatively affect the soil microbial community, pollute groundwater, and have both direct and indirect toxic effects on humans and the food chain. The environmental fate of plastics and risks of plastic degradation products in soil is discussed. Remediation of microplastics includes physical, chemical and biological approaches. The best remediation approaches depend on the microplastic’s origin, polymer composition, particle size, and shape. Microplastics in soil are still poorly understood and needs more investigation.