Microplastics in soil pose global threat by acting like ‘Trojan horse’ to deliver toxins

Researchers found traces of microplastics in 227 agricultural fields across 11 European countries. Photograph: Roman Babakin/Alamy

Microplastics act like a “Trojan horse” delivering pollutants, pesticides and bacteria through the soil, a five-year multinational research project has found.

The EU-funded project, which has so far resulted in 22 peer-reviewed studies, found microplastics in the soil of all 227 agricultural fields it tested across 11 European countries. The researchers said this poses a global threat, with healthy soils essential for life on Earth.