[Adverse Effects and Underlying Mechanisms of Soil Microplastics on Crops and Its Preventive Strategies]

Microplastics （MPs）, as a type of emerging environmental pollutant with a particle size < 5 mm, have been frequently detected in environmental matrices. MPs pollution in soils has been attracting the scientific community due to the increasing contaminant areas and continuous accumulation, leading to a high risk to crop production. In addition, recent studies have observed that long-term exposure to MPs could seriously harm the soil ecosystem because of their fine particle size and persistence in soils. Given that, in this review, we summarized the pollution status of MPs in soils, the adverse effects and underlying mechanisms of soil microplastics on crops, and their preventive strategies. The hazardous substances that may be released by MPs and the toxic mechanisms of MPs or MPs/absorbed contaminants were reviewed. The results suggested that the main adverse effects of soil MPs on crops were mechanical damage, oxidative stress reactions, and genotoxicity to plants, eventually leading to disorders of plant growth and development and physiological metabolism. Source control and biodegradation of soil MPs were considered effective approaches to decreasing their risks. Finally, existing studies on the shortcomings of the toxic effects of MPs on crops were recapitulated, and the future research direction of MPs was prospected, aiming to provide a reference for future research in the fields of agricultural soil ecosystems and pollution control of microplastics.