The interplay between soil pollution, insect biodiversity and soil health: A comprehensive review

Abstract

Soil pollution is a growing environmental threat with severe implications for soil health and the organisms that rely on it, particularly soil insects. These insects are critical to maintaining soil structure, nutrient cycling, organic matter decomposition, and ecosystem stability. However, pollutants from agricultural, industrial, and urban sources—such as heavy metals, pesticides, microplastics, and organic contaminants—are disrupting soil ecosystems worldwide. Soil pollutants have both direct effects on insects, including toxicity, reduced reproduction, and impaired physiology, and indirect effects by altering soil properties like pH and nutrient availability. These changes degrade habitats and food sources, leading to declining insect populations and cascading effects on ecosystem functions. This disruption of nutrient cycling and organic matter breakdown accelerates soil degradation, reduces agricultural productivity, and weakens overall ecosystem resilience. This review synthesizes current knowledge on how soil pollution affects soil insect populations and the broader implications for soil health and ecosystem stability.