Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems: sources, transport, fate, mitigation, and remediation strategies

Abstract Microplastic (MP) pollution has become a pervasive environmental issue, extending beyond marine ecosystems to impact terrestrial environments significantly. This review article comprehensively examines MPs’ sources, transport, and fate in terrestrial environments. Primary MPs, designed for commercial use, and secondary MPs, resulting from macroplastic deterioration, originate from various urban, farming, and manufacturing-related activities. MP dynamics in soils involve physicochemical and biological interactions, influencing their distribution, movement, and deposition. Wind, water flow, and soil organisms can transport MPs through diverse landscapes. MP fate is characterized by its persistence,…