Issue 2, 2021

Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts

Abstract

Increased production and use of plastics has resulted in growth in the amount of plastic debris accumulating in the environment, potentially fragmenting into smaller pieces. Fragments <5 mm are typically defined as microplastics, while fragments <0.1 μm are defined as nanoplastics. Over the past decade, an increasing number of studies have reported the occurrence and potential hazards of plastic particles in the aquatic environment. However, less is understood about plastic particles in the terrestrial environment and specifically how much plastic accumulates in soils, the possible sources, potential ecological impacts, interaction of plastic particles with the soil environment, and appropriate extraction and analytical techniques for assessing the above. In this review, a comprehensive overview and a critical perspective on the current state of knowledge on plastic pollution in the soil environment is provided: detailing known sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical techniques used for identification and quantification and the ecological impacts of particles on soil. In addition, knowledge gaps are identified along with suggestions for future research.

Graphical abstract: Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Critical Review
Submitted
19 7 2020
Accepted
17 1 2021
First published
18 1 2021

Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021,23, 240-274

Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts

E. D. Okoffo, S. O'Brien, F. Ribeiro, S. D. Burrows, T. Toapanta, C. Rauert, J. W. O'Brien, B. J. Tscharke, X. Wang and K. V. Thomas, Environ. Sci.: Processes Impacts, 2021, 23, 240 DOI: 10.1039/D0EM00312C

To request permission to reproduce material from this article, please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

If you are an author contributing to an RSC publication, you do not need to request permission provided correct acknowledgement is given.

If you are the author of this article, you do not need to request permission to reproduce figures and diagrams provided correct acknowledgement is given. If you want to reproduce the whole article in a third-party publication (excluding your thesis/dissertation for which permission is not required) please go to the Copyright Clearance Center request page.

Read more about how to correctly acknowledge RSC content.

Social activity

Spotlight

Advertisements