Chinese Journal of Nature ›› 2021, Vol. 43 ›› Issue (4): 267-273.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0253-9608.2021.04.005

• Review Article • Previous Articles     Next Articles

Microplastic pollution in soil in China

YANG Ling①②, ZHANG Yulan, KANG Shichang①②, WANG Zhaoqing, WU Chenxi   

  1. ①State Key Laboratory of Cryospheric Sciences, Northwest Institute of Eco-Environment and Resources, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Lanzhou 730000, China; ②University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100049, China; ③College of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou 730000, China; ④State Key Laboratory of Freshwater Ecology and Biotechnology, Institute of Hydrobiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan 430072, China
  • Received:2021-03-24 Online:2021-08-25 Published:2021-08-21

Abstract: Microplastic pollution in soil becomes a global environmental problem and attracts increasing attentions from scholars at home and abroad. This paper reviewed the progress of microplastics in soil environment in China, analyzed the pollution sources and environmental behaviors of microplastics in soil environment, and discussed the ecological and environmental effects of microplastics pollution. The results indicate that microplastic pollution is widespread in our soil. The abundance of microplastics detected in the soil can reach 105 /kg. Microplastics detected in the soil environment show in different shapes, sizes, colors, and have a variety of chemical compositions and may carry other contaminants. These characteristics reflect the origin and experience of microplastics to some extent, and affect their environmental behaviors and ecological environmental effects. Exposure of microplastics can cause changes in the physical properties of the soil, and even affect the function and safety of the soil ecosystem. Microplastics can also be enriched in higher trophic organisms through soil organisms along the food chain. There are still many aspects in the quantification and estimation of microplastic emissions in regional soils, the influencing factors of microplastics concentration, and microplastics-carbon, which need to be further studied.