Microplastics in Crops

Microplastics (MPLs), or plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, have become a serious issue because of their amassing in the soil in recent years. These particles have substantial effects on ecosystems and organisms alike. As plants are at the base of the food chain and essential to food security, the effect of microplastics on them is very important. This presents an emerging multifaceted food safety and physiological stress issue that needs to be approached strategically. Therefore, it is imperative to look at the consequences of microplastics because of the possible risks to human health through contamination of the food supply chain. The constituents of these MPLs in consumable plants, the contamination of soils, the process of centralization of MPLs, methods for identifying them, the adverse effects of microplastics on a variety of food commodities, and deleterious effects on ecosystem by them are all covered in this chapter. Few research that has been done thus far suggests that microplastics may influence the physicochemical and biological characteristics of soil, inclusive of porosity, aggregate size, pH, evaporation, water retention capacity, and the accessibility of nutrients. The studies that are currently available on the incidental effects in agriculture and their cumulative effect on mixing with more contaminants are included in this chapter.