Microplastics decrease soil compressibility but have no major impact on soil physical properties

Microplastics reduce soil detachment capacity by modulating soil physical properties: experimental evidence from concentration gradients

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Laboratory experiments showed that polyethylene microplastics at 0.5-2% soil concentrations significantly reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity and capillary porosity, decreasing soil detachment capacity by 8-15% under hydraulic stress. Degraded soil water dynamics from microplastic contamination have practical consequences for erosion control, agricultural water management, and the long-term productivity of farmland.

Microplastics affect key soil functions – water, carbon and nutrient storage – and soil microbiota via interactions between plastic degradability and soil aggregation

Microplastics affect key soil functions – water, carbon and nutrient storage – and soil microbiota via interactions between plastic degradability and soil aggregation

Soil health and microplastics: a review of the impacts of microplastic contamination on soil properties

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Researchers reviewed a decade of studies on microplastic contamination in soil and found that microplastics alter soil chemistry and biology in complex ways depending on plastic type and concentration, with impacts expected to worsen as global plastic production continues to rise.

The impact of large microplastics on the physical behavior of soils: implications to marine sediments

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Researchers tested how PVC microplastic chips alter the physical properties of marine sediment analogues, finding that as little as 1% plastic content by volume irreversibly changed compressibility, strength, stiffness, and hydraulic conductivity — with coarser sediments showing greater sensitivity — raising concerns about long-term seafloor stability as plastic accumulation continues.