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Impacts of microplastics on terrestrial soil carbon dynamics
Summary
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.
Growing concerns about plastic pollution and climate change worldwide are driving research into the effects of microplastics on carbon cycling. Although the impacts of microplastics on soil organic carbon (SOC) levels and carbon emissions have been demonstrated, their role in SOC sequestration remains understudied. Here we discuss how interactions between microplastics and organic matter may affect SOC sequestration through biological, geochemical and physical processes. Microplastics and co-occurring contaminants alter SOC content and quality by leaching dissolved organic matter (DOM) and affecting native SOC mineralization. These changes may influence the efficacy of the microbial carbon pump and mineral-associated organic carbon formation. Furthermore, microplastic surfaces adsorb DOM for long-term preservation and form hotspots for mineral–organic matter interactions, thereby altering carbon storage within soil aggregates. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of the role of microplastics in soil carbon dynamics, from local to global scales, is essential to address both microplastic pollution and carbon neutrality. Microplastics impact terrestrial soil carbon dynamics, altering carbon storage, according to a synthesis of studies of microplastics and soil carbon cycling.