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Synergistic effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on soil bacterial communities and metabolic functions
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Synergistic effect of microplastics and cadmium on microbial community and functional taxa in wheat rhizosphere soil
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A greenhouse experiment combining polyethylene microplastics and cadmium in wheat rhizosphere soil found their interaction suppressed bacterial diversity by up to 38%, reduced nitrogen-fixing populations, and elevated saprophytic fungi — effects that differed significantly from single-contaminant exposures. This synergistic disruption of soil microbial communities threatens key nutrient cycling functions and food security in agricultural soils increasingly co-contaminated with microplastics and heavy metals.
Polypropylene microplastics alter the cadmium adsorption capacity on different soil solid fractions
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Researchers found that polypropylene microplastics reduce soil's ability to bind the toxic heavy metal cadmium, with the effect varying by soil composition and microplastic aging — suggesting that microplastic contamination could indirectly increase the risk of heavy metals leaching into groundwater.
Influences of microplastics alone and co-contaminated with cadmium on physiological responses of Chinese cabbage ( Brassica campestris L.), rhizosphere microbes and soil properties in soil
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Scientists tested how plastic pollution (microplastics) and cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, affect Chinese cabbage grown in contaminated soil, both matter because they can build up in crops we eat and impact human health. Surprisingly, small-to-moderate amounts of microplastics actually helped protect the cabbage from cadmium's harmful effects by changing soil chemistry and boosting helpful soil microbes, though this doesn't mean microplastic pollution is safe overall. This research shows the relationship between plastic pollution and toxic metals in soil is complicated, and more study is needed before we underst
The response of soil ecosystem multifunctionality to two different microplastics of polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride
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A 144-day soil incubation experiment found that both polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics increased soil organic carbon, available phosphorus, and enzyme activities, while shifting microbial community composition in ways dependent on polymer type, dose, and particle size. Because soil ecosystem multifunctionality—nutrient cycling, microbial activity, and fertility—is altered by microplastic exposure, widespread soil contamination poses a long-term threat to agricultural productivity and food security.
Feedback, synergy and antagonism between microplastics and soil organisms
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Microplastics, tiny plastic fragments from industrial waste and vehicle exhaust, are building up in soil, and this review pulls together research on how they disrupt soil life, from bacteria to earthworms to crop plants like wheat and tomatoes. The effects are a mixed bag: some microbes actually thrive, while earthworms can suffer toxic effects and plants may absorb harmful chemicals through their roots. This matters because these plastics can accumulate over time and potentially move up the food chain into the foods we eat, though scientists say more research is needed to fully understand the risks.
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