(Micro)plastics as Vectors of Plasticizers: Leaching of Plastic Additives into Agricultural Systems

This chapter addresses the role of agricultural systems as major sources and pathways for plastic-associated chemical contamination. The extensive use of plastics in agriculture, while supporting productivity and resource efficiency, leads to their fragmentation in soils and the subsequent release of a wide range of chemical additives. Micro- and nanoplastics further enhance these processes by acting as carriers that influence the mobility, persistence, and bioavailability of associated chemicals. As a result, plastics in soils function not only as physical pollutants but also as vectors of chemical exposure, with potential implications for soil organisms, plant systems, and transfer of contaminants into the food chain. However, current knowledge remains limited by important challenges, including methodological constraints, difficulty of isolating the effects of individual compounds within highly complex environmental mixtures, and lack of comprehensive data on the toxicity of many plastic additives. In addition, the combined and potentially synergistic effects arising from interactions among polymers, additives, and environmental matrices are still poorly understood. These limitations prevent the establishment of clear cause-effect relationships, particularly regarding human health outcomes. Overall, this chapter highlights that plastic pollution in agriculture should be primarily considered a chemical exposure issue rather than solely a problem of physical contamination and underscores the need for integrated research approaches to better understand the fate, interactions, and risks of plastic-associated chemicals in agroecosystems.