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Microplastics in soils: an environmental geotechnics perspective
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This geotechnical engineering perspective reviewed microplastic contamination in soils and the terrestrial subsurface, examining how MPs alter soil mechanical properties — including shear strength, hydraulic conductivity, and compressibility — and arguing that geotechnical impacts have been underappreciated in environmental assessments.
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging persistent contaminants in the terrestrial subsurface, and evidence has emerged for significant effects of MPs on the biological and ecosystem functions of soils. Main MP sources include land spreading of sewage sludge and biowaste composts, plastic mulching film used in horticultural fields, waste water irrigation and leachate from the landfills, among others. This updated state-of-the-art review paper describes recent experimental and numerical research and developments in understanding the accumulation and fate and effects of MPs in the soil environment (focusing on their storage, degradation, transportation, leaching to groundwater etc.), followed by mitigation and bioremediation measures, including MP-eating soil bacteria and fungi and the best management practices for reducing MP pollution of soil. Other areas covered are the combined effects of MPs and various other environmental contaminants (heavy metals, organic pollutants and antibiotics) in soil ecosystems and the standardisation of methods for detection, quantification and characterisation of MPs in soils, which is critical for MP research. The paper concludes by identifying knowledge gaps and presents recommendations on prioritised research needs.
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Geotechnical Implications of Microplastics: A Review of Their Effects on Soil Mechanical Parameters
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This review compiled and analyzed findings from previous studies on how microplastics affect soil mechanical parameters — including compressibility, permeability, shear strength, settlement, and slope stability — concluding that microplastic contamination can substantially alter geotechnical soil behavior with implications for engineering and construction.
Geotechnical Implications of Microplastics: A Review of Their Effects on Soil Mechanical Parameters
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This review compiled and analyzed findings from previous studies on how microplastics affect soil mechanical parameters — including compressibility, permeability, shear strength, settlement, and slope stability — concluding that microplastic contamination can substantially alter geotechnical soil behavior with implications for engineering and construction.
Microplastic Contamination in Soils: A Review from Geotechnical Engineering View
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Researchers reviewed microplastic contamination in soils from a geotechnical engineering perspective, examining how plastic degradation leads to widespread soil contamination. They identified landfills and various geotechnical applications such as tire chip fills and polystyrene lightweight fills as potential sources of microplastic pollution in soils. The review highlights the need for geotechnical engineers to consider the long-term effects of microplastic contamination on soil properties and groundwater quality.
Impact of microplastics on strength parameters of clayey, Sandy, silty soil: A comparative assessment
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Researchers conducted a comparative study examining how three types of microplastics at different concentrations affect the strength properties of sandy, silty, and clayey soils over a 30-day period. They found that LDPE, HDPE, and PVC contamination at environmentally relevant levels altered key soil properties including moisture content, density, and shear strength. The study highlights that microplastic pollution could compromise soil structural integrity, with implications for construction and geotechnical engineering.
Impact of microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystem on index and engineering properties of sandy soil: An experimental investigation
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Researchers tested how different concentrations of three common plastic types affect the physical and engineering properties of sandy soil. They found that increasing microplastic contamination significantly altered soil characteristics including liquid limit, plasticity, compaction, and shear strength. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in the ground could potentially compromise the structural stability of soil used in construction and land management.
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