A tale of two stressors: nitrogen, microplastics, and their influence on estuarine organic matter degradation

The Influence of Microplastic Polymer Characteristics on Estuarine Nutrients Through Microbial Mediation: A Field Study in the Pearl River Estuary

Effects of microplastics on carbon and nitrogen cycling in coastal wetlands: A critical meta-analysis

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This meta-analysis of over 1,000 data points from 34 studies found that microplastics significantly altered certain carbon and nitrogen cycling indicators in coastal wetlands under laboratory conditions, but tidal simulation experiments more representative of real environments showed no significant effects. The findings caution against over-interpreting lab results and highlight that tidal dynamics and vegetation factors are often missing from experimental designs.

Effects of plastispheres and pristine microplastics on sediment microbial communities and nitrogen cycling under global warming

Microplastics can Alter the Nitrogen Cycle in Surface Flow Constructed Wetlands

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Both conventional PVC and biodegradable PLA microplastics disrupted nitrogen cycling in constructed wetlands, with PVC causing ammonium accumulation and PLA acting as a carbon source, while both enhanced biofilm formation and enzyme activities at higher concentrations. These polymer-specific effects on nitrogen dynamics reveal that microplastic contamination poses distinct and complex threats to the water treatment functions of natural and engineered wetlands.

The Effect of N Mineralization, Nitrification and Ammonification Rates in Soils Contaminated with Microplastics

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Researchers found that polypropylene, polyethylene, and PET microplastics all disrupt soil nitrogen cycling, with polypropylene having the most harmful effect — reducing the availability of nitrogen that plants need to grow, raising concerns about long-term agricultural soil health in contaminated areas.