When you think of a healthy salad, you probably picture crisp lettuce, crunchy carrots, and wholesome grains—not microplastics. However, alarming new research reveals that the very soil nourishing our crops is becoming a dumping ground for tiny plastic particles, and these particles are ending up in the food we eat.
Environmental biotechnologist Joseph Boctor and his team at Murdoch University reviewed nearly 200 scientific studies and found an unsettling trend: microplastics, along with hazardous plastic additives, are infiltrating agricultural soil across Europe and North America, with up to 22,500 tonnes per year introduced in the UK alone through fertilizers and sludge.
A key culprit? Plastic mulch. This common farming practice lays plastic sheeting over the soil to conserve water and boost yields. However, as that plastic breaks down, it releases micro- and nanoplastics that can be absorbed by crops such as lettuce and wheat. These particles sneak in through the plant’s roots via a process called endocytosis, or even get inhaled through leaf pores from polluted air.
Once in our food, the risks multiply. In humans, microplastics and the synthetic chemicals that ride along with them—like phthalates and PBDE flame retardants—have been linked to everything from hormonal disruption and fertility issues to DNA damage and developmental harm in unborn babies.
“These aren’t just traces of pollution,” warns Boctor. “They’re a systematic, silent invasion of our food system—and our bodies.”
As plastic-laden farming practices continue unchecked, Boctor calls for urgent regulatory action. In the meantime, consumers may want to reconsider what’s truly in their “clean eating” routine because that innocent salad might come with a side of synthetic danger.
