We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Soil water, salt, and microplastics interact during migration: Performance and mechanism
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how microplastics and salt interact as they move through farmland soil, finding that salty conditions slow both water flow and microplastic migration, while microplastics in turn hinder the leaching of harmful salts like sodium from the soil. These complex interactions are important for understanding how contaminated agricultural soils behave and how to manage them.
• Inhibitory effect of microplastics on infiltration weakens with increasing soil salinity. • Microplastics hinder the leaching effect on Na + and SO 4 2- • Obstruction on Na + leaching by microplastics is stronger than that on SO 4 2- leaching. • Higher soil salinity causes stronger inhibitory effect on microplastics migration. • Microplastics particles of various sizes accumulate at different soil depths. Farmland salinization and microplastics (MPs) pollution are important environmental issues that threaten soil ecosystems. However, the interactions among soil water, salt, and MPs during migration in MPs-contaminated saline soils remain unexplored. To address this, we conducted an infiltration test using loam soils with four different salinity levels and polyethylene MPs concentrations. Experimental results showed that both MPs and salts inhibited water infiltration and that the inhibitory effect of MPs weakened with increasing soil salinity. After infiltration, MPs increased the water content in the shallow soil layer (0–15 cm) and decreased that in the deep layer (15–30 cm). Furthermore, total salt content of MPs-containing soils was higher than that of MP-free soils in the deep layer. Notably, MPs hindered the leaching of Na + and SO 4 2- , and a larger obstruction was observed for Na + compared to SO 4 2- leaching. In addition, MPs migrated more easily in non-saline soils, and higher salinity had a stronger inhibitory effect on MPs migration than lower salinity. Mechanism analysis indicated that MPs influence water movement through their water-repellent properties, changing the soil pore size distribution, and degradation of soil structure. Moreover, salts affect water movement by reducing the mobility of soil water and blocking soil macropores. Additionally, the surface of MPs is negatively charged and can adsorb Na + in soil through electrostatic forces, further influencing salt migration. Furthermore, the presence of salt ions affects the migration ability of MPs by reducing their electrostatic repulsion and increasing the mean hydrodynamic diameter of MPs particles. These findings provide valuable insights for developing healthy soil–crop systems for croplands rich in MPs and salts.
More Papers Like This
Changes in water characteristics and pore distributions in loam soil under the coexistence of microplastics and salts
AI summary Read the abstract
This study investigated how microplastics interact with soil salinity to affect water movement and retention in loam soil. Researchers found that microplastics generally reduced the soil's ability to conduct water and hold moisture, but these effects were weaker in saltier soils. The findings matter for agriculture because they suggest microplastic pollution could worsen water availability for crops, particularly in non-saline farmland.
Combined effects of salt and microplastics on evaporation and crystallization dynamics in porous media
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found that microplastics in soil change how water evaporates and how salt forms crusts on the ground, with plastics actually speeding up water loss while salt alone slows it down. This matters because as plastic pollution builds up in farmland and soil, it could disrupt natural water and salt cycles in ways that affect crop growth and soil health — an early warning sign worth watching even though this study didn't directly test human health effects.
Insights into simultaneous changes of water evaporation and desiccation crack formation for microplastics-contained saline soils
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how microplastics interact with salt-stressed soils and found that microplastics reduced water flow and total evaporation while also suppressing the formation of desiccation cracks, with effects varying by microplastic concentration and soil salinity. These findings reveal that microplastic pollution can meaningfully alter the water and structural behavior of agricultural soils already under stress from salinization.
The influence of microplastic on soil hydraulic properties
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how the addition of microplastics to soil affects hydraulic properties including water retention and conductivity, finding that effects depend strongly on plastic shape, concentration, and soil texture. This study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils could alter water movement and availability for crops.
Microplastics transport in soils: A critical review
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics move through soil, finding that their transport depends on a complex mix of particle properties, soil chemistry, water flow, and biological activity — and that these factors often interact in ways that produce contradictory results across studies. The review maps these knowledge gaps and calls for more controlled experiments to predict where microplastics accumulate and how they might reach groundwater or crops.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.