Soil Microplastic Pollution and its Remediation: An Overview | ||
| Egyptian Journal of Soil Science | ||
| Volume 65, Issue 3, September 2025, Pages 1569-1586 PDF (1.25 M) | ||
| Document Type: Review papers | ||
| DOI: 10.21608/ejss.2025.394838.2210 | ||
| Authors | ||
| Abeer Aitta1; Mohammed S. Shams1; Abdulmageed Rabie1; Hassan El-Ramady1; Heba Elbasiouny2; Tamer Elsakhawy* 3, 4; Mohamed A. El-Sherpiny5; Eric C. Brevik6 | ||
| 1Soil and Water Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Kafrelsheikh University, Kafr El-Sheikh 33516, Egypt | ||
| 2Department of environmental and biological science, home economy Faculty, Al-Azhar university, Egypt | ||
| 3Agriculture Microbiology Department, Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute (SWERI), Sakha | ||
| 4Agricultural Research Station, Agriculture Research Center (ARC), Kafr El-Sheikh 33717, Egypt | ||
| 5Soil & Water and Environment Research Institute, Agriculture Research Center, Giza, 12619 Egypt | ||
| 6School of Agricultural Sciences and School of Earth Systems and Sustainability, 1205 Lincoln Drive, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, IL 62901 USA | ||
| 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. | ||
| Keywords | ||
| Alkylphenols; Biodegradation; Heavy metals; Nano-plastics; Phthalates; Soil ecotoxicity; Soil and human health | ||
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