An all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on microplastics has published a report stating that the accumulation of microplastics in soil presents an emerging threat to the UK's food security. Scientists, MPs, and campaigners are calling for legally binding targets to cut microplastic pollution.
The report identifies UK agricultural soils as among the most contaminated by microplastics in Europe. This contamination is often a result of repeated applications of sludge from water treatment works used as fertiliser.
Alberto Costa MP, chair of the APPG, stated that the UK's response to microplastic emissions remains limited, with existing measures tackling only a small proportion. He emphasised the urgent need for a preventative approach to reduce releases at the source to protect human health and food security.
Professor Cressida Bowyer, senior author of the report and director of the Revolution Plastics Institute, explained that microplastics impact the biological, chemical, and physical functioning of soil, as well as its fertility. She noted that plastic particles can affect soil structure, water capacity, microbial communities, and soil fauna, with earthworms ingesting microplastics undergoing physiological changes.
The report makes five policy recommendations, including legally binding targets for cutting microplastic pollution, regulation of the largest sources, extended producer responsibility, improved wastewater and soil protections, and a coordinated national monitoring system.