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Effects of microplastics on the porosity and connectivity with different soil textures: Based on CT scanning
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This study used computed tomography and 3D visualization to analyze how microplastics alter pore structure and connectivity in sandy, sandy loam, and loam soils. Microplastic contamination disrupted soil pore architecture, which can affect water movement, root growth, and the ability of soil microbes to break down organic matter — all critical for agricultural productivity.
Abstract Microplastics-contaminated soils exhibit disordered pore architecture. However, research on soil pores' morphological features and connectivity under microplastics endowment needs to be more extensive. This research used computed tomography and three-dimensional visualization tools to quantitatively analyze the micropore structure of sandy soils, sandy loam, and loamy soils after microplastics endowment, and we also built a pore network model. The findings revealed that microplastics deposition considerably altered the spatial structure of the pores and reduced soil porosity. The effects of microplastics accumulation on soil pore morphology and connectivity varied greatly between soil textures, with connected pores in sandy soils and sandy loams partially or completely disappearing and connected pores in loamy soils changing from a complex spatial structure to a monolayer sheet. Furthermore, as the abundance of microplastics increases, the soil pore network model becomes more straightforward, and the Euler number and tortuosity increase, which leads to the hydraulic conductivity declines. Finally, the microplastics endowment caused significant damage to the soil's connectivity and reduced its infiltration ability.
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Effects of microplastics on the pore structure and connectivity with different soil textures: Based on CT scanning
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Using CT scanning, researchers found that microplastics significantly disrupt soil pore structure, with sandy soils losing up to 89% of their porosity at higher contamination levels. While not directly about human health, degraded soil structure can reduce agricultural productivity and alter how water and contaminants move through soil toward food crops and groundwater.
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Researchers investigated microplastic particle transport in soil environments using micro-CT imaging, with a focus on the physical changes microplastics induce in soil structure and chemistry as a baseline for understanding interactions with mycorrhizal fungi and plant roots. The study sought to characterise how microplastic addition alters soil porosity and geological chemistry, establishing a foundation for further experiments on microplastic-fungi-plant relationships.
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Researchers spiked clay and sandy loam soils with PET microplastic fibers and fragments and measured oxygen diffusivity and soil respiration, finding that fibers reduced pore connectivity and oxygen diffusion more than fragments and that clay soils amplified these effects relative to sandy loam.
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Researchers experimentally measured the effect of polypropylene microplastics of varying sizes and concentrations on the soil water characteristic curve of silty sand, finding that microplastic addition alters soil pore structure in ways that modify water retention and drainage behavior with implications for agricultural productivity.
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