A new publication in Agricultural Systems, including several authors from the MINAGRIS team, has found that there is high contamination of microplastics, and there are different sources and concentrations which vary according to the type of land- management. It is, therefore, important to understand the different processes which take place in microplastics dispersion in the agricultural systems.

In this review, the authors have built an understanding of how the different mechanisms play a role in the transport of microplastics inside the agricultural environment, and from the agricultural environment to abroad.  For example, the mechanisms fomenting the transport of microplastics by water, wind, or those biotic mechanisms through soil invertebrates, by their bodies and biogenic structures as casts, or by vertebrates faeces are investigated. The authors also discuss the role played by various stressors such as pesticides which interact with microplastics in the agricultural systems.

We invite you to read this review so you can dive into the different aspects of microplastics transport in the agricultural systems and beyond.

Cover image credit: Huerta Lwanga et al (2022), claspvisuals.com