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Review | Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology | Volume 3 - Issue 2 - 2025 | 76-85 | https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i2.713
© 2025 by the author(s), and is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) License

Emerging Global Threat of Microplastics and Their Impact on Soil Sustainability: A Case of Southeast Nigeria

Author(s): Joseph Ekenwosu , Chidinma Ikpeama , Peter Nzenwa
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Department of Animal and Environmental Biology, Imo State University Owerri, Nigeria

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Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology

Volume 3 - Issue 2 - 2025

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Plastics became an integral part of daily life from food packaging to water bottles, but their environmental and health impacts raised significant concerns. Microplastics (MPs), defined as plastic particles smaller than 5 mm, originated primarily from the fragmentation of larger plastic materials. These particles not only disrupted endocrine signaling but also caused cellular damage, making their ecological impact a critical area of study. A recent review examined water-soluble polymers, a rapidly growing class of materials found in cosmetics, paints, food packaging, and water purification systems. Despite their utility, these materials posed serious environmental risks due to their chemical composition and resistance to biodegradation. In some cases, their degradation products were even more hazardous and persisted in soil for extended periods. Studies showed that water-soluble plastics, such as polyethylene, posed significant threats to the environment. While they might not have appeared immediately harmful, their breakdown products had severe long-term effects on terrestrial ecosystems. Among the many global challenges to soil sustainability, MPs-induced soil perturbations were especially concerning in regions referred to as the “Global South.” In soil, MPs stressed beneficial microbial populations by blocking digestive tracts or altering biological processes, thereby weakening the overall soil ecosystem. Since soil biomes played a crucial role in decomposition and nutrient cycling, particularly the nitrogen cycle, their disruption profoundly affected soil health. Therefore, by disrupting vital natural processes essential for maintaining soil health, the presence of MPs demonstrated the potential to physically alter both the biological and physicochemical configuration of the soil. The continuous rise in plastic pollution and the emerging threats posed by MPs to soil sustainability worldwide remained urgent concerns. This study highlighted the risks that MPs posed to the physical, chemical, and biological components of the soil ecosystem.

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SUBMITTED: 05 June 2025
ACCEPTED: 22 July 2025
PUBLISHED: 1 August 2025
SUBMITTED to ACCEPTED: 48 days
DOI: https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i2.713

Cite this article
Ekenwosu, J., Ikpeama, C. ., & Nzenwa , P. . (2025). Emerging Global Threat of Microplastics and Their Impact on Soil Sustainability: A Case of Southeast Nigeria . Tropical Environment, Biology, and Technology, 3(2), 76–85. https://doi.org/10.53623/tebt.v3i2.713
Keywords
Microplastics soil sustainability soil health microbial degradation environmental contamination
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