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Microplastic pollution on the soil and its consequences on the nitrogen cycle: a review
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This review examines microplastic pollution impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, finding that microplastics alter soil structure, serve as novel microbial colonization surfaces, and affect the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.
Microplastics (MPs) correspond to plastics between 0.1 μm and 5 mm in diameter, and these can be intentionally manufactured to be microscopic or generated from the fragmentation of larger plastics. Currently, MP contamination is a complicated subject due to its accumulation in the environment. They are a novel surface and a source of nutrients in soils because MPs can serve as a substrate for the colonization of microorganisms. Its presence in soil triggers physical (stability of aggregates, soil bulk density, and water dynamics), chemical (nutrients availability, organic matter, and pH), and biological changes (microbial activity and soil fauna). All these changes alter organic matter degradation and biogeochemical cycles such as the nitrogen (N) cycle, which is a key predictor of ecological stability and management in the terrestrial ecosystem. This review aims to explore how MPs affect the N cycle in the soil, the techniques to detect it in soil, and their effects on the physicochemical and biological parameters, emphasizing the impact on the main bacterial groups, genes, and enzymes associated with the different stages of the N cycle.
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This review systematically analyzed how microplastics affect nitrogen transformation processes in soil. Researchers found that the size, shape, concentration, and polymer type of microplastics all influence soil nitrogen cycling through changes to microbial communities, soil structure, and enzyme activity. The study identifies key knowledge gaps and recommends standardized research approaches to better predict how microplastic pollution will alter soil nutrient dynamics.
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This review summarizes how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils affects carbon and nitrogen cycling by altering soil properties, microbial communities, and enzymatic activity. Evidence indicates that microplastics can change organic matter degradation rates and nutrient cycling processes, with implications for soil health and agricultural productivity.
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This review examines how microplastics in soil alter the communities of bacteria and fungi that are essential for recycling nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. Microplastics can increase certain beneficial bacteria but decrease others that are important for soil fertility, and they also carry toxic chemicals that further disrupt microbial life. The authors note that most studies are short-term lab experiments, and long-term field studies are needed to understand real-world impacts.
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