Distribution, sources, transportation and biodegradation of microplastics in the soil environment

In recent years, the prevalence and accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the soil environment have raised worldwide concerns for their resistance to degradation and long-term ecological impacts. However, compared with aquatic ecosystems, there is still a lack of critical reviews on the ecological effects and effective remediation methods of MPs in soil. In this review, the distribution characteristics, sources and transportation, identification techniques of MPs are summarized, followed by an elaboration of the interactions between MPs contamination and soil ecosystems. Moreover, we generalized the effects and degradation mechanisms of different organisms on the degradation of MPs. There are a variety of microorganisms in the environment that can degrade MPs, but the enzymes that really work are yet to be explored. It may be a breakthrough in the field of biodegradation to transform the stability and performance of enzymes based on computer protein design. This review will guide researchers to further explore feasible approaches and formulate advanced remediation strategies for MPs contamination in the future.