Cross-ecosystem impacts of plastic pollution: a systematic analysis of environmental threats
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34117/bjdv11n5-050Keywords:
ecosystem sustainability, emerging impacts, environmental threats, plastic pollution, systematic reviewAbstract
This systematic analysis explores the emerging threats posed by plastic pollution to ecosystem health and sustainability, drawing on recent scientific literature published from 2021-2024. Through rigorous methodological screening, the review identified seven potentially relevant studies, with five meeting full inclusion criteria after quality assessment. The findings reveal a tripartite categorization of environmental impacts: soil-based effects from microplastic contamination in terrestrial systems, ecosystem service disruption in aquatic environments (encompassing both marine seagrass meadows and freshwater watersheds), and novel pollution patterns triggered by global events, particularly the COVID-19 pandemic. The highest-rated studies (quality score 5/5) documented fundamental alterations to soil properties, disruption of critical marine ecosystem services, and quantifiable accumulation patterns in freshwater systems. Complementary research provided essential context on lifecycle environmental impacts and pandemic-driven shifts in plastic waste management. By synthesizing evidence across these interconnected environmental compartments, this review illuminates the complex, cross-ecosystem nature of contemporary plastic pollution challenges.
References
BAHO, D. L.; BUNDSCHUH, M.; FUTTER, M. N. Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems: Moving beyond the state of the art to minimize the risk of ecological surprise. Global Change Biology, v. 27, n. 17, p. 3969-3986, 2021.
BARNES, D. K. et al. Accumulation and fragmentation of plastic debris in global environments. Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, v. 364, p. 1985-1998, 2009.
BARRETT, N.; MILLER, J.; ORBOCK-MILLER, S. Quantification and categorization of macroplastics (plastic debris) within a headwaters basin in Western North Carolina, USA: Implications to the potential impacts of plastic pollution on biota. Environments, v. 11, p. 195, 2024.
BENGALI, S. The COVID-19 pandemic is unleashing a tidal wave of plastic waste. Los Angeles Times, 2020.
BLETTLER, M. C. et al. Plastic pollution in freshwater ecosystems: Macro-, meso-, and microplastic debris in a floodplain lake. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, v. 189, p. 581, 2017.
BODOR, A. et al. Soils in distress: The impacts and ecological risks of (micro)plastic pollution in the terrestrial environment. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, v. 269, p. 115807, 2024.
BONDAROFF, T. P.; COOKE, S. The impact of Covid-19 on marine plastic pollution. Ocean Asia, 2020.
BOOTS, B.; RUSSELL, C. W.; GREEN, D. S. Effects of microplastics in soil ecosystems: Above and below ground. Environmental Science & Technology, v. 53, n. 19, p. 11496-11506, 2019.
BOUAICHA, O. et al. Microplastics make their way into the soil and rhizosphere: A review of the ecological consequences. Rhizosphere, p. 100542, 2022.
DA COSTA, J. P. et al. (Nano)plastics in the environment – Sources, fates and effects. Science of The Total Environment, v. 566-567, p. 15-26, 2016.
DANTAS, D. V.; BARLETTA, M.; DA COSTA, M. F. The seasonal and spatial patterns of ingestion of polyfilament nylon fragments by estuarine drums (Sciaenidae). Environmental Science and Pollution Research, v. 19, p. 600-606, 2012.
DISSANAYAKE, P. D. et al. Effects of microplastics on the terrestrial environment: A critical review. Environmental Research, v. 209, p. 112734, 2022.
DONG, Y. et al. Effect of microplastics and arsenic on nutrients and microorganisms in rice rhizosphere soil. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety, v. 211, p. 111899, 2021.
DOUGLAS, J.; NINER, H.; GARRARD, S. Impacts of marine plastic pollution on seagrass meadows and ecosystem services in Southeast Asia. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, v. 12, n. 12, p. 2314, 2024.
EERKES-MEDRANO, D.; THOMPSON, R. C.; ALDRIDGE, D. C. Microplastics in freshwater systems: A review of the emerging threats, identification of knowledge gaps and prioritisation of research needs. Water Research, v. 75, p. 63-82, 2015.
GASPERI, J. et al. Assessment of floating plastic debris in surface water along the Seine River. Environmental Pollution, v. 195, p. 163-166, 2014.
GEYER, R.; JAMBECK, J. R.; LAW, K. L. Production, use, and fate of all plastics ever made. Science Advances, v. 3, n. 7, p. e1700782, 2017.
HONORATO-ZIMMER, D. et al. Mountain streams flushing litter to the sea–Andean rivers as conduits for plastic pollution. Environmental Pollution, v. 291, p. 118166, 2021.
IQBAL, S. et al. Deciphering microplastic ecotoxicology: Impacts on crops and soil ecosystem functions. Circular Agricultural Systems, v. 1, n. 1, p. 1-7, 2021.
JAKUBOWICZ, I. Evaluation of degradability of biodegradable polyethylene (PE). Polymer Degradation and Stability, v. 80, p. 39-43, 2003.
KAHLERT, S.; BENING, C. R. Plastics recycling after the global pandemic: Resurgence or regression? Resources, Conservation and Recycling, v. 160, p. 104948, 2020.
KAUER, P.; SINGH, K.; SINGH, B. Microplastics in soil: Impacts and microbial diversity and degradation. Pedosphere, v. 32, n. 1, p. 49-60, 2022.
KLEMEŠ, J. J. et al. Minimising the present and future plastic waste, energy and environmental footprints related to COVID-19. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, v. 127, p. 109883, 2020.
LAMBERT, S.; SINCLAIR, C.; BOXALL, A. Occurrence, degradation, and effect of polymer-based materials in the environment. Reviews of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, v. 227, p. 1-53, 2014.
LI, H. Z. et al. Long-term fertilization history alters effects of microplastics on soil properties, microbial communities, and functions in diverse farmland ecosystem. Environmental Science & Technology, v. 55, n. 8, p. 4658-4668, 2021.
LIM, X. Microplastics are everywhere—But are they harmful. Nature, v. 593, p. 22-25, 2021.
LITSI-MIZAN, V. et al. Decline of seagrass (Posidonia oceanica) production over two decades in the face of warming of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. New Phytologist, v. 239, p. 2126-2137, 2023.
LOZANO, Y. M. et al. Effects of microplastics and drought on soil ecosystem functions and multifunctionality. Journal of Applied Ecology, v. 58, n. 5, p. 988-996, 2021.
MBACHU, O. et al. The rise of artificial soil carbon inputs: Reviewing microplastic pollution effects in the soil environment. Science of the Total Environment, v. 780, p. 146569, 2021.
PAWAR, P. R.; SHIRGAONKAR, S. S.; PATIL, R. B. Plastic marine debris: Sources, distribution and impacts on coastal and ocean biodiversity. PENCIL Publication of Biological Sciences, v. 3, p. 40-54, 2016.
PRATA, J. C., SILVA, A. L. P., WALKER, T. R., DUARTE, A. C., & ROCHA-SANTOS, T. (2020). COVID-19 pandemic repercussions on the use and management of plastics. Environmental Science & Technology, 54, 7760-7765.
QI, Y. et al. Effects of plastic mulch film residues on wheat rhizosphere and soil properties. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 387, p. 121711, 2020.
QIU, Y. et al. Soil microplastic characteristics and the effects on soil properties and biota: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Environmental Pollution, p. 120183, 2022.
REN, X. et al. Microplastics in plant-microbes-soil system: A review on recent studies. Science of the Total Environment, v. 816, p. 151523, 2022.
RHEE, S. W. Management of used personal protective equipment and wastes related to COVID-19 in South Korea. Waste Management & Research, v. 38, p. 820-824, 2020.
SAJJAD, M. et al. Microplastics in the soil environment: A critical review. Environmental Technology Innovation, v. 27, p. 102408, 2022.
SCHMIDT, C.; KRAUTH, T.; WAGNER, S. Export of plastic debris by rivers into the sea. Environmental Science & Technology, v. 51, p. 12246-12253, 2017.
SHAMS, M.; ALAM, I.; MAHBUB, M. S. Plastic pollution during COVID-19: Plastic waste directives and its long-term impact on the environment. Environmental Advances, v. 5, p. 100119, 2021.
SILVA, A. L. P. et al. Rethinking and optimising plastic waste management under COVID-19 pandemic: Policy solutions based on redesign and reduction of single-use plastics and personal protective equipment. Science of The Total Environment, v. 742, p. 140565, 2020.
UNSWORTH, R. K. F. et al. Indonesia's globally significant seagrass meadows are under widespread threat. Science of the Total Environment, v. 634, p. 279-286, 2018.
WAGNER, M. et al. Microplastics in freshwater ecosystems: What we know and what we need to know. Environmental Sciences Europe, v. 26, p. 12, 2014.
WANG, C.; ZHAO, J.; XING, B. Environmental source, fate, and toxicity of microplastics. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 407, p. 124357, 2021.
WANG, F. et al. Effects of microplastics on soil properties: Current knowledge and future perspectives. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 424, p. 127531, 2022.
WOLTER, B. et al. Microbes and plastic–A sustainable duo for the future. Good Microbes in Medicine, Food Production, Biotechnology, Bioremediation and Agriculture, p. 294-311, 2022.
XU, B. et al. Microplastics in the soil environment: Occurrence, risks, interactions and fate–a review. Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology, v. 50, n. 21, p. 2175-2222, 2020.
YADAV, S. et al. Unravelling the emerging threats of microplastics to agroecosystems. Reviews in Environmental Science and Bio/Technology, v. 21, n. 3, p. 771-798, 2022.
YAN, Y. et al. Effect of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on bacterial community and nutrient status in two agricultural soils. Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology, v. 107, p. 602-609, 2021.
YANG, W. et al. Effects of microplastics on plant growth and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities in a soil spiked with ZnO nanoparticles. Soil Biology and Biochemistry, v. 155, p. 108179, 2021.
YIN, M. et al. Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments. Environmental Pollution, v. 318, p. 120852, 2023.
YU, H. et al. Reverse logistics network design for effective management of medical waste in epidemic outbreaks: Insights from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Wuhan (China). International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, v. 17, n. 5, p. 1770, 2020.
ZHANG, G. S.; LIU, Y. F. The distribution of microplastics in soil aggregate fractions in southwestern China. Science of the Total Environment, v. 642, p. 12-20, 2018.
ZHANG, X. et al. Systematical review of interactions between microplastics and microorganisms in the soil environment. Journal of Hazardous Materials, v. 418, p. 126288, 2021.
ZHANG, Y. et al. Life-cycle environmental impact assessment and plastic pollution prevention measures of wet wipes. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, v. 174, p. 105803, 2021.
ZHAO, T.; LOZANO, Y. M.; RILLIG, M. C. Microplastics increase soil pH and decrease microbial activities as a function of microplastic shape, polymer type, and exposure time. Frontiers in Environmental Science, v. 9, p. 675803, 2021.
ZHOU, X. et al. Microplastics in coastal blue carbon ecosystems: A global Meta-analysis of its distribution, driving mechanisms, and potential risks. Science of the Total Environment, v. 878, p. 163048, 2023.
