Microplastics in soil: Impacts and microbial diversity and degradation

Microplastics (MPs) are plastic particles less than 5 mm in size that have become a major environmental pollutant due to their ubiquitous and persistent nature. Microplastic contamination of the aquatic environment has received the most attention so far, whereas the current understanding of MP prevalence and its impacts in the terrestrial environment is largely limited. The MP contamination of soil can cause bioaccumulation and toxicity in terrestrial animals and plants, which can consequently affect human health. This review is aimed towards combining the available information on the occurrence, sources, and effects of MPs on the different aspects of the terrestrial environment and to highlight the limitations in our knowledge regarding the nature and impacts of MPs in soil. The review also highlights microbial degradation of MPs as an advancing research area, with numerous microorganisms being identified as capable of efficiently degrading this persistent contaminant.