Stimulated soil CO2 and CH4 emissions by microplastics: A hierarchical perspective

Impacts of microplastics on terrestrial soil carbon dynamics

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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.

Effects of different microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions from paddy soil

Contrasting effects of microplastics on N2O emission and denitrifiers in two agricultural soils

Soil Aggregates and Organic Carbon Transformation in Response to Microplastics Pollution

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Researchers synthesized 131 studies on microplastics in agricultural soils and found that microplastics destabilize soil aggregates, accelerate organic carbon mineralization, and stimulate microbial activity in ways that collectively degrade soil structure and increase carbon loss to the atmosphere.

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.