Microplastics (MPs) as emerging persistent pollutants have been a growing global concern. Although MPs are extensively studied in aquatic systems, their presence and fate in agricultural systems are not fully understood. In the agricultural soils, major causes of MPs pollution include application of biosolids and compost, wastewater irrigation, mulching film, polymer-based fertilizers and pesticides, and atmospheric deposition. The fate and dispersion of MPs in the soil environment are mainly associated with the soil characteristics, cultivation practices, and diversity of soil biota. Although there is emerging pollution of MPs in the soil environment, no standardized detection and quantification techniques are available. This study comprehensively reviews the sources, fate, and dispersion of MPs in the soil environment, discusses the interactions and effects of MPs on soil biota, and highlights the recent advancements in detection and quantification methods of MPs. The prospects for future research include biomagnification potency, cytotoxic effects on human/animals, nonlinear behavior in the soil environment, standardized analytical methods, best management practices, and global policies in the agricultural industry for the sake of sustainable development.

The increase of plastic production from the middle of the twentieth century was inevitably followed by an increase in the amount of plastic dumped in the natural environment. There, the plastic debris are exposed to sunlight, temperature, humidity, and physical stress. This can induce photo-oxidative and thermal degradation. This review discusses the mechanism of plastics UV weathering and its characteristics. Comparison of the photodegradation rate and physico-chemical properties are made according to the weathering mode (natural/accelerated) and medium (air/water). Since the photodegradation can lead to plastics fragmentation, this phenomenon is described along with the methodologies used in literature to evaluate the fragmentation. The impact of the photodegraded plastic debris on the marine environment is also presented in term of (i) photodegradation products and stabilizers leakage, (ii) organic pollutants accumulation, transfer, and leakage, and (iii) toxicity on marine organisms.