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Effects of aged and pristine microplastics on physical, chemical, and biological soil properties
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Microplastics—even ones marketed as "biodegradable" like PLA—can throw soil's natural balance out of whack, changing how it holds water, cycles carbon, and supports the bacteria and fungi that keep it healthy. This matters because soil health underpins the food we grow, and disrupted microbial communities could affect soil fertility and how nutrients (and potentially pollutants) move through our food system over time.
Microplastics (MPs) can negatively affect soil microbial communities and biogeochemical processes. This study evaluated the effects of two polymers, polylactic acid (PLA) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE), at three concentrations (0.25%, 2.5%, 5% w/w) and two aging degrees (pristine and artificially UV-aged) on soil microbial community structure and functionality. A 12-week microcosm experiment was conducted to assess changes in soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, and microbial diversity. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene and ITS region were used to analyse bacterial and fungal α- and β-diversity, and functional potential was inferred using FAPROTAX and FungalTraits. MPs generally increased total organic carbon (TOC) and reduced water holding capacity (WHC). Aged MPs, particularly PLA at 5% w/w, reduced intracellular and overall soil enzyme activity. Bacterial richness and evenness decreased at 0.25% w/w but increased at 5% w/w, likely due to the dominance of a few competitive taxa. Fungal communities were more sensitive, showing reduced α-diversity across treatments. High MP contents promoted saprophytic families and shifted predicted metabolic pathways from aerobic to anaerobic, consistent with reduced WHC and increased TOC.
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Effects of microplastics on soil physical, chemical and biological properties
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This review examines how microplastics affect soil health, covering their impact on the physical structure, chemical composition, and biological communities of soil ecosystems. Microplastics can alter soil water retention, change nutrient cycling, and harm soil organisms from earthworms to microbes. Since agricultural soils are a major reservoir of microplastics, these changes could affect crop growth and food quality, creating an indirect pathway for microplastic-related harm to human health.
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Researchers found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics break down soil structure in similar ways, increasing the proportion of smaller soil clumps while reducing larger, more stable ones. The microplastics also significantly altered soil bacterial communities, with effects varying by particle size. This matters because changes to soil health can affect the food we grow and the broader ecosystem services that soil provides.
Transformation of Polylactic Acid (PLA) Microparticles in Soil and their Effects on Soil Properties: A Review
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This review examined how polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics transform in soil over time and affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties including pH, organic matter, nutrient cycling, and microbial communities, highlighting the complexities of PLA as a supposedly biodegradable agricultural plastic.
Specific response of soil properties to microplastics pollution: A review
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This review summarizes how microplastic pollution changes the physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil. Microplastics can alter soil structure, water retention, and nutrient cycling, and they also affect the communities of microorganisms that keep soil healthy. Since contaminated soil grows our food, these changes could indirectly affect human health through the food supply.
Aging of biodegradable microplastics and their effect on soil properties: Control from soil water
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Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics made from PLA and PBAT break down in different soil types under varying water conditions. They found that while these plastics aged more in dry and alternating wet-dry conditions, flooded conditions caused bigger changes to soil chemistry, including increased dissolved organic carbon. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully alter soil properties, and the effects depend heavily on moisture conditions.
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