Microplastics and soil nutrient cycling

In recent decades, microplastic contamination in the terrestrial environment has become an emerging environmental issue. Microplastic accumulation in terrestrial environments occurs through composting, mulching, irrigation water, biosolids application, and atmospheric fallout; microplastics are likely to interact with soil nutrients, influencing their biogeochemical cycling. The carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous cycles are affected by microplastics-microbe interactions through the leaching of dissolved organic carbon and altered denitrification. The presence of microplastics in soil negatively affects its structural and functional aspects. Microplastics can decrease soil microbial enzyme activity, coding genes, microbial biomass carbon, and microbial carbon use efficiency, thereby indirectly affecting soil nutrient cycling. However, limited background knowledge is available on the influence of microplastics in soil nutrient cycling. This chapter focuses on factors affecting nutrient cycling in microplastic-contaminated soil. It also highlights the influence of microplastics on the redistribution of micronutrients and trace elements in soil and provides suggestions for future studies.