A Critical Review of Polystyrene Microplastics in Soil–Plant Systems: Absorption, Phytotoxicity and Future Perspectives

Summary

This critical review assembles evidence on the behaviour and impacts of polystyrene microplastics in soil–plant systems, documenting their uptake by plants, translocation through vascular tissues, and accumulation in metabolically active sites with consequent physiological impairment. The authors highlight that co-exposure to heavy metals, antibiotics, or phthalates frequently enhances toxicity, whilst nano-scale particles show greater mobility and intracellular access than micro-scale fractions. The review calls for field-realistic, long-term studies integrating particle ageing, multi-stressor experiments, and harmonised metrics, alongside nature-based mitigation and linkage to soil health assessment frameworks.

Regional applicability

Although the review is not geographically specific, its findings are globally relevant including to United Kingdom agroecosystems, where microplastic contamination of agricultural soils is an emerging concern. The emphasis on harmonised exposure metrics and integration with soil health assessment aligns with UK policy priorities around soil stewardship and land degradation monitoring.

Key measures

Soil microbial community composition, extracellular enzyme activity, soil respiration stress, oxidative and genotoxic markers in soil fauna, plant uptake pathways (root and foliar), photosynthetic inhibition, hormonal imbalance, gene expression and metabolite profiles, reactive oxygen species formation, pollutant bioavailability, particle size-dependent effects

Outcomes reported

The review synthesises evidence on polystyrene microplastics behaviour and impacts in soil–plant ecosystems, including effects on soil microbial communities, soil fauna, plant physiology, and interactions with coexisting stressors. It identifies research priorities and mitigation strategies for sustainable agroecosystem management.

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