Impact of Microplastics on the Physicochemical Properties, Microbial Community Structure, and Functions of Farmland Soils

Microplastics, as a new type of pollutant, are widely present in various environmental media. The contamination of microplastics in soil environments has attracted global attention. The theme of this study revolves the contamination of microplastics in agricultural soil. Based on a summary and analysis of the latest research progress at home and abroad, a review was made of the impact of microplastics on the physicochemical properties of agricultural soil, soil microbial biomass, microbial community structure and function. Microplastics that enter agricultural soil through agricultural activities and other pathways will undergo weathering and degradation under non-biological and biological processes, and affect soil physicochemical properties, nutrient cycling, and the interaction of pollutants, thereby affecting soil microbial biomass, microbial community structure and diversity, soil enzyme activity, and soil biogeochemical processes such as carbon and nitrogen cycling, as well as pollutants degradation. The impacts of microplastics on the above indicators are related to various factors such as the properties of microplastics, soil type, and exposure conditions. This paper provides a prospect for future research directions on microplastics in soil, in the hope of providing reference and ideas for future research.