Polylactic acid microplastics induced negative priming and improved carbon sequestration via microbial processes in different paddy soils

Degradable microplastics induce more soil organic carbon loss via priming effects: a viewpoint

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This viewpoint argues that degradable microplastics, despite being marketed as eco-friendly, may paradoxically accelerate soil organic carbon loss by triggering priming effects that stimulate microbial activity consuming native soil carbon stocks. This finding complicates assumptions about biodegradable plastics as a safe alternative, with implications for soil health, food security, and the long-term carbon cycle.

Plant presence fundamentally alters soil microbial and biogeochemical responses to polylactic acid microplastics: Evidence from unplanted vs. maize-planted microcosms

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This study investigated microplastic transport and redistribution in deep-sea sediment systems, examining how particle characteristics and ocean current dynamics influence deposition patterns. The findings reveal that deep-sea environments accumulate microplastics from distant surface sources, with long-term implications for benthic ecosystem health.

Distinct Influence of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Microorganisms and Nitrogen Cycling: Emphasizing the Effect of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid

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A one-month soil experiment comparing polyethylene, PVC, and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics found that smaller particles and PLA had the greatest disruptive effects on bacterial diversity, nitrogen cycling, and enzyme activity, inhibiting nitrification while enhancing denitrification. The finding that biodegradable plastics can be equally or more disruptive to soil microbiomes than conventional plastics complicates assumptions that they represent a safe environmental alternative.

Effects of different microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions from paddy soil

Effects of aged microplastics on paddy soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions under laboratory aerobic conditions

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Researchers incubated paddy soil with UV-aged polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics and measured CO2 and N2O emissions over 35 days, finding that aging increased greenhouse gas output beyond that of virgin plastics by elevating dissolved organic carbon and altering its composition—suggesting that weathered microplastics in agricultural soils amplify climate-relevant emissions.