Summary
This is a comprehensive narrative review examining the interactive effects of microplastics and heavy metal contamination on terrestrial ecosystems, with emphasis on agricultural soils and crop production. The review demonstrates that combined contamination poses greater threats than single-pollutant exposure, with documented impacts on soil microbial function and plant growth ranging substantially depending on contaminant type, size, dose and environmental context. The authors highlight that microplastics can both infiltrate plants directly and alter the bioavailability and accumulation of heavy metals in crop tissues, with implications for food safety and agricultural productivity.
Regional applicability
The review does not specify a particular geographic focus and addresses global agricultural concerns. Findings are relevant to United Kingdom farming systems, particularly in regions with intensive agriculture, industrial proximity or historical contamination, though specific UK soil types and climatic conditions would require localised validation studies.
Key measures
Soil physicochemical properties, microbial community structure and diversity, soil enzyme activity, resistance genes, heavy metal speciation, plant biomass, antioxidant system activity, metabolite composition, photosynthetic rate, heavy metal concentration in plant tissues
Outcomes reported
This review synthesised evidence on the combined effects of microplastics and heavy metals on soil physicochemical properties, microbial communities, enzyme activity, and plant growth parameters including biomass, antioxidant systems and photosynthesis. The analysis quantified impacts on plant weight (ranging from −87.5% to 4.55%) and heavy metal accumulation in plants under microplastic treatment (70.26%–36.80% changes).
Topic tags
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