Journal Article

Microplastic Pollution in Terrestrial Ecosystems and Its Interaction with Other Soil Pollutants: A Potential Threat to Soil Ecosystem Sustainability

Aloo, Becky N., Kumar, Gaurav, Rai, Meera, Pant, Kumud, Pant, Gaurav, Tripathi, Vishal, Singh, Harikesh Bahadur

2023

Overview

The production and disposal of plastics have become significant concerns for the sustainability of the planet. During the past 75 years, around 80% of plastic waste has either ended up in landfills or been released into the environment. Plastic debris released into the environment breaks down into smaller particles through fragmentation, weathering, and other disintegration processes, generating microplastics (plastic particles ≤ 5 mm in size). Although marine and aquatic ecosystems have been the primary focus of microplastic pollution research, a growing body of evidence suggests that terrestrial ecosystems are equally at risk. Microplastic contamination has been reported in various terrestrial environments from several sources such as plastics mulch, pharmaceuticals and cosmetics, tire abrasions (tire wear particles), textiles industries (microfibers), sewage sludge, and plastic dumping. Recent studies suggest that the soil has become a significant sink for pollutants released into terrestrial ecosystems and is often contaminated with a mixture of organic and inorganic pollutants. This has gradually caused adverse impacts on soil health and fertility by affecting soil pH, porosity, water-holding capacity, and soil microbial enzymatic activities. Microplastics can interact with the co-existing pollutants of the environments by adsorbing the contaminants onto their surfaces through various intermolecular forces, including electrostatic, hydrophobic, non-covalent, partition effects, van der Waals forces, and microporous filling mechanisms. This subsequently delays the degradation process of existing contaminants, thereby affecting the soil and various ecological activities of the ecosystem. Thus, the present article aims to elucidate the deleterious impact of microplastics and their interactions with other pollutants in the terrestrial ecosystem. This review also addresses the impact of microplastics in disrupting the soil sustainability of the planet.

• Publisher: MDPI AG
• Subject: Aquatic ecosystems / Biodegradable materials / Biodegradation / co-contamination / Contaminants / Cosmetics / Disintegration / drugs / Dumping / Ecosystems / Electrostatic properties / Environment / Environmental aspects / Environmental sustainability / Enzymatic activity / heavy metals / Hydrophobicity / Intermolecular forces / Landfills / Manufacturing / Marine ecosystems / Microfibers / Microorganisms / Microplastics / mulches / Particulate matter / pesticides / Plastic debris / Plastic pollution / Plastic scrap / Pollutants / pollution / Pollution research / Pollution studies / Polyethylene / Porosity / porous media / Refuse and refuse disposal / risk / Sewage disposal / Sewage sludge / Soil acidity / Soil chemistry / Soil contamination / soil ecosystems / Soil fertility / Soil microbiology / Soil pH / Soil pollution / Soil porosity / soil quality / soil sustainability / Soil water / Soils / Sustainability / Sustainable development / Sustainable ecosystems / Terrestrial ecosystems / Terrestrial environments / Textiles / Van der Waals forces / Waste disposal sites / water holding capacity / Wear particles