Microplastic pollution devastating soil species, study finds

Researchers in China saw big reductions in organisms that play a crucial role in recycling carbon and nitrogen

Microplastic pollution causes significant damage to populations of soil-dwelling mites, larvae and other tiny creatures that maintain the fertility of the land, research has found.

The study notes that discarded bags, cups, threads and other forms of plastic waste are concentrated more in the earth than the oceans, with similarly dire consequences for the abundance of species that live below the surface.