The Rise of Microplastics in Agriculture

Plastic is everywhere, including in the fields where our food is grown. Over the years, plastic has helped farmers by reducing water use, improving crop yields, and lowering labor. However, its use has also created a growing problem—plastic waste in the soil. From greenhouse coverings and mulch films to irrigation pipes and compost contaminated with packaging remnants, all of these materials break down into microplastics. These particles are often less than 5 millimeters in size and can stick around in soil for years.

Are Biodegradable Plastics Safer?

With growing concerns over plastic waste, biodegradable plastics have been promoted as an eco-friendly alternative. These materials are designed to break down over time and seem like a smart solution. But our study (Saldi et al., 2025) asked a different question: What happens when these biodegradable plastics mix with common agricultural chemicals in the soil? To find out, we looked at how different types of microplastics—both biodegradable and conventional—affect a tiny soil-dwelling insect called Folsomia candida, or springtail. Springtails are no larger than a pinhead, but they play a big role in keeping soil healthy by breaking down organic matter and helping nutrients cycle through the ecosystem.

Our Experiment: A Closer Look at the Soil

We tested three types of plastics:

• LDPE (low-density polyethylene) – A traditional plastic used in greenhouses and mulch films.

• PBAT-based plastic – A type of biodegradable plastic.

• Starch-based plastic – Another form of biodegradable plastic.

We also added two common chemicals often found in agricultural soils:

• Albendazole – A drug used to treat livestock parasites, which enters soil through manure.

• Pyraclostrobin – A fungicide widely sprayed on crops.

We exposed springtails to soils with and without microplastics, with and without the chemicals, and watched how they were affected over 28 days.

What We Found: A Surprising Interaction

Microplastics on their own didn’t seem to harm the springtails. No matter the plastic type or concentration, the insects survived and reproduced normally.

But when we combined biodegradable plastics with the chemicals? That’s when things changed.

Springtails exposed to the combination of PBAT-based plastic and chemicals experienced reduced survival, fewer offspring, and fewer eggs laid. In other words, both their health and their ability to reproduce were affected.

The starch-based plastic caused a drop in egg counts when mixed with the chemicals (the effects were less severe).

Meanwhile, springtails in soil with LDPE and the same chemicals showed no significant negative effects.

What Does This Mean?

It turns out that biodegradable plastics may not be as harmless as we thought—especially when combined with other substances commonly found in farm soils. Their breakdown process might release substances or allow chemicals to become more available to organisms like springtails. One possible reason? The surface of biodegradable plastics can absorb or interact differently with pesticides and veterinary drugs compared to traditional plastics. PBAT, for example, is more hydrophilic (it “likes” water), which may change how it holds or releases chemical compounds. In contrast, LDPE is more hydrophobic (repels water), and may trap certain chemicals, reducing their impact on nearby organisms.

Why Should We Care About Tiny Insects?

You might wonder: Why focus on springtails? They are just white jumping pinpoints in the dirt, right?

Actually, they’re vital indicators of soil health. When springtail populations decline, it’s often a warning sign that the soil ecosystem is in trouble. They help decompose organic matter, aerate the soil, and keep microbial communities in balance.

If biodegradable plastics and farm chemicals are harming these organisms, we may be disrupting a key part of the soil food web—and that could eventually affect plant health, crop productivity, and even human food security.

What’s Next?

Our study was done in a controlled lab setting, which helps isolate the effects of specific factors. But real-world soils are even more complex. Different soil types, climates, and farming practices could influence how plastics and pollutants interact. More research is needed to fully understand the risks—especially as biodegradable plastics become more popular. Policymakers, farmers, and environmental regulators should consider these findings when evaluating the use of biodegradable materials in agriculture.

The study is part of the MINAGRIS project funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Programme for research & innovation under Grant Agreement number: 101000407; CUP J35F21002410006

Read more at: 

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11270-025-08351-x