Moisture content modulates microplastic effects on soil carbon responses, microbial genomic potential, and resistance–related gene profiles in tropical soil

Differential effects of microplastics on soil organic carbon via lignin phenols and amino sugars in soil aggregates

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Pot experiments with corn showed that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics reduced the accumulation of microbial carbon in soil aggregates, disrupting how organic matter builds up in the ground. Because microplastic-derived carbon can be miscounted as soil organic carbon, these findings suggest we may be overestimating soil health in contaminated agricultural fields.

Impacts of microplastics on terrestrial soil carbon dynamics

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This synthesis shows that microplastics disrupt soil organic carbon sequestration through multiple mechanisms, including leaching dissolved organic matter, altering microbial carbon pump efficiency, and creating hotspots that modify mineral-organic matter interactions within soil aggregates. As microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils globally, their interference with carbon storage could undermine both climate mitigation efforts and the soil ecosystem services that support food production.

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

Effects of microplastic on soil ecosystems: a perspective from functional genes

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This review synthesized how microplastics alter soil microbial functional genes involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling, antibiotic resistance, and enzyme activity, with the plastisphere identified as a hotspot for gene exchange among microbes. Disruption of soil microbial gene networks threatens the foundational biogeochemical processes that maintain soil fertility and ecosystem function, with cascading implications for food security and broader environmental health.