Co-occurrence of co-contaminants: Cyanotoxins and microplastics, in soil system and their health impacts on plant-A comprehensive review

Cyanotoxins (CTX) and micro/nanoplastics (M/NP) are ubiquitously distributed in every environmental com-partment. But the distribution, abundance and associated ecological risks of CTX are still poorly understood in soil system. On the other hand, M/NP could serve as vectors for persistent organic/inorganic pollutants in the nat-ural environment through the sorption of pollutants onto them. Thus, co-occurrence of CTX and M/NP in soils suggests the sorption of CTX onto M/NP. So, major aim of this review is to understand the relevance of CTX and M/NP in soils as co-contaminants, possible interactions between them and ecological risks of CTX in terms of phytotoxicity. In this study, we comprehensively discuss different sources and fate of CTX and the sorption of CTX onto M/NP in soil system, considering the partition coefficient of different phases of soil and mass balance. Phytotoxicity of CTX, CTX mixture and co-contaminants has also been discussed with insights on the mechanism of action. This study indicates the need for the evaluation of sorption between co-contaminants, especially CTX and M/NP, and their phytotoxicity assessment using environmentally relevant concentrations. (c) 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study aims to understand the co-occurrence of CTX and M/NP in soil, their possible interactions, and the ecological risks of CTX, with a focus on phytotoxicity.