Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems: Un-ignorable impacts on soil characterises, nutrient storage and its cycling

Microplastics (size <5 mm) debris are environmentally persistent pollutants that severely affect terrestrial ecosystems by promoting the loss of soil fertility, and microbiome. The adverse effect of microplastics on the terrestrial ecosystem led to changes in physic-chemical and biological characteristics of soil resulting changes in nutrient cycling, and also future climatic risks. Therefore, understanding the potential sources, composition, abundance, life cycle and transport of microplastics is a huge challenge and an important topic of global debate among scientific communities. The present review is focused to bridge the gap by illustrating the potential sources, transport and disintegration of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems. Further, the impacts of microplastic pollutants on soil characteristics, nutrient storage and cycling are discussed. The identified scientific gaps will be useful to environmentalists, microbiologists, hydrologists, and policymakers for a better understanding of microplastic pollution and to investigate future engineering solutions.