Microplastics in soil: A review on methods, occurrence, sources, and potential risk

Ling Yang; Yulan Zhang; Shichang Kang; Zhaoqing Wang; Chenxi Wu

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146546

Microplastics in soil: A review on methods, occurrence, sources, and potential risk

Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 1:780:146546. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146546. Epub 2021 Mar 18.

Authors

Ling Yang¹, Yulan Zhang², Shichang Kang³, Zhaoqing Wang⁴, Chenxi Wu⁵

Affiliations

¹ State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
² State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China. Electronic address: yulan.zhang@lzb.ac.cn.
³ State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
⁴ College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China.
⁵ State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China.

PMID: 33770602
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146546

Abstract

Microplastic is an emerging contaminant of concern in soil globally due to its widespread and potential risks on the ecological system. Some basic issues such as the occurrence, source, and potential risks of microplastics in the soil are still open questions. These problems arise due to the lack of systematic and comprehensive analysis of microplastic in soils. Therefore, we comprehensively reviewed the current status of knowledge on microplastics in soil on detection, occurrence, characterization, source, and potential risk. Our review suggests that microplastics are ubiquitous in soil matrices globally. However, the research progress of microplastics in the soil is restricted by inherent technological inconsistencies and difficulties in analyzing particles in complex matrices, and studies on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in soil environments remain very scarce, especially in Africa, South America, and Oceania. The consistency of the characteristics and composition of the microplastics in the aquatic environment and soil demonstrate they may share sources and exchange microplastics. Wide and varied sources of microplastic are constantly filling the soil, which causes the accumulation of microplastics in the soil. Studies on the effects and potential risks of microplastics in soil ecosystems are also reviewed. Limited research has shown that the combination and interaction of microplastics with contaminants they absorbed may affect soil health and function, and even migration along the food chain. The occurrence and impact of microplastic on the soil depend on the morphology, chemical components, and natural factors. We conclude that large research gaps exist in the quantification and estimation of regional emissions of microplastics in soil, factors affecting the concentration of microplastics, and microplastic disguising as soil carbon storage, which need more effort.

Keywords: Analytical methodology; Microplastics; Risk; Soil; Sources.

Publication types

Review