Key facts
- UK agricultural soils are among the most contaminated by microplastics in Europe.
- Microplastics impact soil structure, water capacity, microbial communities, and soil fauna.
- Microplastics can absorb other environmental contaminants, acting as 'sponges' for pollutants.
- Experts and MPs are calling for legally binding targets to reduce microplastic pollution.
- The report suggests a preventative approach focused on reducing microplastic releases at the source.
Microplastic contamination in UK agricultural soils poses a significant threat to food security, according to a report by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on microplastics. The report, co-authored by the Revolution Plastics Institute and the Women's Institute, highlights that UK soils are among the most contaminated in Europe, often due to the application of treated sewage sludge as fertilizer.
Experts warn that these plastic particles disrupt the biological, chemical, and physical functioning of soil, affecting its structure, water capacity, microbial communities, and soil fauna like earthworms. Microplastics can also act as sponges, accumulating other environmental contaminants such as heavy metals and viral particles. Professor Cressida Bowyer, a senior author of the report, noted that microplastics are found throughout the human body, indicating widespread exposure across the plastics lifecycle.
Given that extreme weather events are already pressuring agriculture, protecting soil from these additional, unknown pressures is crucial. Alberto Costa, MP and chair of the APPG, stated that current UK measures are insufficient and called for a preventative approach to reduce microplastic releases at their source. The report recommends implementing legally binding targets for microplastic reduction, regulating major sources, extending producer responsibility, enhancing protections for wastewater and soil, and establishing a coordinated national monitoring system.