Interactions among Heavy Metals, Microplastics and Pesticides in Soil and Advances in Microbial Remediation
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54097/8rp5cp38Keywords:
Microplastics; Heavy metals; Pesticides; Interaction mechanisms; Microbial remediation; Composite pollution.Abstract
With the rapid development of intensive agriculture and the extensive use of agricultural inputs, soil environments are increasingly exposed to complex composite pollution dominated by heavy metals, microplastics (MPs), and pesticides. Microplastics, characterized by small particle size, large specific surface area, and strong hydrophobicity, can act as important carriers of various pollutants. Through adsorption–desorption processes, MPs significantly influence the migration, transformation, bioavailability, and ecological toxicity of heavy metals and pesticides in soil systems. Meanwhile, heavy metals and pesticides can also interact with each other, leading to synergistic, additive, or antagonistic effects that further complicate environmental behaviors and ecological risks. This review systematically summarizes the interaction mechanisms among heavy metals, microplastics, and pesticides in soil environments, focusing on adsorption–desorption behaviors, co-migration processes, and toxicity responses. The effects of physicochemical properties of MPs, pollutant characteristics, and environmental conditions on these interactions are discussed in detail. In addition, the current advances in microbial remediation technologies are reviewed, including microbial degradation of microplastics, microbial immobilization of heavy metals, and microbial degradation of pesticides. The roles of key functional enzymes, metabolic pathways, and microbial community interactions are also emphasized. Furthermore, the potential of microbial consortia and plant–microbe combined remediation strategies for treating composite pollution is highlighted, with particular attention to rhizosphere processes and synergistic mechanisms. Although significant progress has been made in understanding single or binary pollutant systems, studies on heavy metal–microplastic–pesticide composite pollution remain limited. Future research should focus on elucidating the synergistic mechanisms among multiple pollutants, improving the stability of microbial systems under complex stress conditions, and developing efficient, scalable remediation technologies. This review provides a theoretical basis for the risk assessment and remediation of composite pollution in agricultural soils.
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