State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China.
State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Science, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Lanzhou 730000, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Tibetan Plateau Earth Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
Sci Total Environ. 2021 Aug 1;780:146546. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.146546. Epub 2021 Mar 18.
Microplastic is an emerging contaminant of concern in soil globally due to its widespread and potential risks on the ecological system. Some basic issues such as the occurrence, source, and potential risks of microplastics in the soil are still open questions. These problems arise due to the lack of systematic and comprehensive analysis of microplastic in soils. Therefore, we comprehensively reviewed the current status of knowledge on microplastics in soil on detection, occurrence, characterization, source, and potential risk. Our review suggests that microplastics are ubiquitous in soil matrices globally. However, the research progress of microplastics in the soil is restricted by inherent technological inconsistencies and difficulties in analyzing particles in complex matrices, and studies on the occurrence and distribution of microplastics in soil environments remain very scarce, especially in Africa, South America, and Oceania. The consistency of the characteristics and composition of the microplastics in the aquatic environment and soil demonstrate they may share sources and exchange microplastics. Wide and varied sources of microplastic are constantly filling the soil, which causes the accumulation of microplastics in the soil. Studies on the effects and potential risks of microplastics in soil ecosystems are also reviewed. Limited research has shown that the combination and interaction of microplastics with contaminants they absorbed may affect soil health and function, and even migration along the food chain. The occurrence and impact of microplastic on the soil depend on the morphology, chemical components, and natural factors. We conclude that large research gaps exist in the quantification and estimation of regional emissions of microplastics in soil, factors affecting the concentration of microplastics, and microplastic disguising as soil carbon storage, which need more effort.
微塑料是一种新兴的全球关注的污染物，由于其在生态系统中广泛存在和潜在风险，引起了广泛关注。一些基本问题，如土壤中微塑料的发生、来源和潜在风险，仍然是悬而未决的问题。这些问题的出现是由于对土壤中微塑料缺乏系统和全面的分析。因此，我们综合回顾了目前关于土壤中微塑料检测、发生、特征描述、来源和潜在风险的知识现状。我们的综述表明，微塑料在全球土壤基质中普遍存在。然而，由于固有技术不一致性以及在复杂基质中分析颗粒的困难，土壤中微塑料的研究进展受到限制，对土壤环境中微塑料的发生和分布的研究仍然非常匮乏，特别是在非洲、南美洲和大洋洲。水相和土壤中微塑料的特征和组成的一致性表明它们可能具有相同的来源并交换微塑料。广泛而多样的微塑料来源不断填充土壤，导致土壤中微塑料的积累。我们还综述了土壤生态系统中微塑料的影响和潜在风险的研究。有限的研究表明，微塑料与它们吸附的污染物的结合和相互作用可能会影响土壤健康和功能，甚至沿着食物链迁移。微塑料在土壤中的发生和影响取决于其形态、化学组成和自然因素。我们得出结论，在量化和估计土壤中微塑料的区域排放、影响微塑料浓度的因素以及微塑料伪装成土壤碳储存方面存在很大的研究差距，需要进一步努力。
