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Microplastics altered soil microbiome and nitrogen cycling: The role of phthalate plasticizer
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Researchers discovered that chemical plasticizers leaching from PVC microplastics, rather than the plastic particles themselves, were the main driver of disrupted nitrogen cycling in soil. The phthalate plasticizer dramatically reduced soil nitrate levels by up to 91% and shifted microbial communities toward more nitrogen-fixing bacteria and fewer nitrifiers. The study highlights that the chemical additives in plastics may be a more important environmental concern than the plastic particles alone.
Microplastics are emerging contaminants that are increasingly detected in soil environment, but their impact on soil microbiota and related biogeochemical processes remains poorly understood. In particular, the mechanisms involved (e.g., the role of chemical additives) are still elusive. In this study, we found that plasticizer-containing polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics at 0.5% (w/w) significantly increased soil NH-N content and decreased NO-N content by up to 91%, and shaped soil microbiota into a microbial system with more nitrogen-fixing microorganisms (as indicated by nifDHK gene abundance), urea decomposers (ureABC genes and urease activity) and nitrate reducers (nasA, NR, NIT-6 and napAB genes), and less nitrifiers (amoC gene and potential nitrification rate). Exposure to plasticizer alone had a similar effect on soil nitrogen parameters but microplastics of pure PVC polymer (either granule or film) had little effect over 60 days, indicating that phthalate plasticizer released from microplastics was the main driver of effects observed. Furthermore, a direct link between phthalate plasticizer, microbial taxonomic changes and altered nitrogen metabolism was established by the isolation of phthalate-degrading bacteria involved in nitrogen cycling. This study highlights the importance of chemical additives in determining the interplay of microplastics with microbes and nutrient cycling, which needs to be considered in future studies.
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Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups
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Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in soil increased nitrification (a key step in the nitrogen cycle) and changed the composition of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These changes could affect soil fertility and the availability of nutrients for crops. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil may have hidden effects on food production by altering fundamental soil processes.
Plasticizers determine a deeper reshape of soil virome than microplastics
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Researchers compared how microplastics and the common plasticizer diethyl phthalate independently affect soil viral communities, finding that the plasticizer caused a much more dramatic shift in viral diversity than the plastic particles themselves. Diethyl phthalate exposure led to a three-fold increase in viral genetic material and triggered widespread activation of dormant viruses within soil bacteria. The findings suggest that the chemical additives leaching from plastics may pose a greater threat to soil ecosystems than the physical plastic particles.
Differential impacts of polyethylene microplastic and additives on soil nitrogen cycling: A deeper dive into microbial interactions and transformation mechanisms
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This study tested how polyethylene microplastics, their base resin, and plastic additives each affect nitrogen cycling in soil -- a process essential for plant growth. All three altered the soil's nitrogen balance and microbial communities in different ways, with microplastics increasing certain nitrogen transformation rates the most. These findings matter because disrupted nitrogen cycling in farmland could affect crop nutrition and ultimately the quality of food humans eat.
Ecological Impacts of Additive-Enriched LDPE Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: Single and Multi-Species Assessments
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Scientists studying plastic pollution in farm soil found something surprising: microplastics alone didn't harm soil creatures like worms and plants, but the chemical additives mixed into those plastics disrupted how organisms compete with each other and interfered with nitrogen cycling — a process critical for healthy soil and crop growth. This matters because it suggests the real risk from plastic pollution may come less from the plastic itself and more from hidden chemical additives, which could ultimately affect soil health, food production, and the safety of what ends up on our plates.
Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments
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Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.
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