Sources, distribution and migration of micro-nano-plastics from terrestrial to aquatic environments and its environmental and health impacts: a systematic review

• Published in: Journal of soils and sediments Vol. 25; no. 6; pp. 1767 - 1801
• Main Authors: Kumar, Manish, Mrunalini, Kancheti, Zhou, Zhuoqing, Modi, Rajesh U., Bolan, Shiv, Rao, Ch Srinivasa, Braun, Melanie, Wrigley, Olivia, Li, Yang, Wang, Liuwei, Leri, Alessandra, Dhupper, Renu, Siddique, Kadambot H. M., Bolan, Nanthi
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.06.2025; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Aggregation; Aquatic ecosystems; Aquatic environment; Biological activity; Collections; Composting; Contaminants; Earth and Environmental Science; Ecosystems; Environment; Environmental Physics; Fertilizers; Literature reviews; Natural waters; Oxidation; Plastic pollution; Plastics; Sec 1 • Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Nutrient Cycling • Frontiers in Soils and Sediments; Sedimentation & deposition; Sludge; Soil erosion; Soil Science & Conservation; Soils; Terrestrial environments; Waste disposal; Weathering; Well being; Plastic mulch; Micro-nano-plastics; Micro-nano-plastics migration; Health impacts; Micro-nano-plastics transformation; Plastic pollution
• ISSN: 1439-0108; 1614-7480
• DOI: 10.1007/s11368-025-04042-6

Purpose The occurrence, transport, and fate of micro-nano-plastics (MNPs) in soil ecosystems have been the subject of numerous investigations. Understanding MNPs transformation and its migration from soil to aquatic environment is extremely difficult by the complexity of matrices, underscoring the need for more study and advancement in this area. With a brief mention of their diverse sources and behaviours, the main focus of this review is on the transformation and migration of MNPs from land to water and the roles of various physical, chemical, and biological factors. Further, this review summarizes the potential environmental and health impacts of MNPs. Finally, new research directions are also suggested based on the outcomes of the current review. Methods A literature search was conducted in Web of Science Core Collections on August 16, 2023 using different keywords and the search results were visualized using VOSviewer software (version 1.6.19). Results Previous reviews about MNPs pollution have focused on the fate and ecotoxicity of plastics in natural waters, with comparatively limited information on the migration and transformation of plastics from terrestrial to aquatic environments. A large proportion of MNPs in natural waters derives from mobilization of plastic contaminants from terrestrial metrices through soil erosion, flooding, wind transport, and other processes. These mobilization processes may involve or be preceded by physical, chemical, and biological transformation processes, including weathering, fragmentation to MNP, oxidation and aging, aggregation, and dispersion, all of which affect subsequent transport and sedimentation in the aquatic environment. Further, due to smaller size and high persistency in the environment, MNPs imposes potential environmental and health impact on the living well-being including human. Conclusions Mitigating plastic pollution at its many sources is an environmental imperative; even if all pollution were to cease immediately, the breakdown and dispersal of existing plastic contaminants will continue to plague terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems for centuries to come. Understanding how MNPs enter in aquatic environments from terrestrial environments provides an opportunity to develop mitigation strategies and potentially limit the dispersal of MNPs and its adverse impacts.