Papers

How aging microplastics influence heavy metal environmental fate and bioavailability: A systematic review

This systematic review found that environmental aging (UV, weathering) degrades microplastics into smaller particles with higher surface reactivity, increasing their capacity to adsorb heavy metals. These aged microplastic-heavy metal complexes bioaccumulate through the food chain, posing greater ecological and human health risks than either pollutant alone.

Behaviour, ecological impacts of microplastics and cadmium on soil systems: A systematic review

This systematic review examines how microplastics and cadmium interact in soil, finding that they can make each other more harmful. Microplastics can carry toxic cadmium further through soil and increase its uptake by plants, which could mean more heavy metal contamination in the food we eat.

Nanoparticles as catalysts of agricultural revolution: enhancing crop tolerance to abiotic stress: a review

This review looks at how nanoparticles can help crops withstand environmental stresses like drought, salt, and heavy metal contamination. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because nanoparticles and microplastics share similar size ranges and behaviors in soil, and understanding how tiny particles interact with plants helps scientists assess both the risks and potential benefits of nanoscale materials in agriculture.

Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: Sources, Fate, and Interactions with Other Contaminants

This review examines how microplastics enter farmland through irrigation, fertilizers, and plastic mulch, and how long-term farming practices affect their spread and aging in soil. The paper highlights that microplastics can either increase or decrease the toxicity of co-existing pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals depending on how strongly each contaminant binds to soil versus plastic particles.

Environmental risks and regulatory gaps in bioplastics: A critical review of degradation pathways and ecosystem impacts

This meta-analysis of 143 studies reveals a troubling finding: some bioplastics marketed as eco-friendly alternatives can be just as toxic to ecosystems as conventional plastics. These materials may still break down into harmful micro- and nanoplastic particles. The research suggests that simply switching to bioplastics is not enough — we need better testing and regulation to ensure alternatives are truly safer.

Design of a delivery vehicle chitosan-based self-assembling: controlled release, high hydrophobicity, and safe treatment of plant fungal diseases

Researchers designed a biodegradable chitosan-based delivery vehicle that slowly releases pesticides, improving their effectiveness against plant fungal diseases while reducing the need for repeated applications. This approach offers a safer, more targeted alternative to conventional chemical treatments and has potential implications for reducing agricultural chemical runoff.

A systematic review of the mechanisms underlying the interactions between microplastics and microorganism in the environment

Microplastics in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau lakes, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution in lakes across two major Chinese plateaus and found contamination even in these remote, high-altitude environments. Lakes near more human activity (Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau) had significantly higher microplastic levels than the more remote Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with sewage, agriculture, and fishing being the main sources. The study shows that microplastic pollution reaches even supposedly pristine environments, largely through human activity and atmospheric transport.

Environmental behaviors and degradation methods of microplastics in different environmental media

This review summarizes the distribution of microplastics across soil and water environments and focuses on the various methods being developed to break them down, an area that has received relatively little research attention. Researchers found that understanding how microplastics move through different environments is essential for developing effective treatment strategies. The study highlights degradation approaches including biological, chemical, and physical methods while noting that significant knowledge gaps remain.

Influence of polyvinyl chloride microplastic on chromium uptake and toxicity in sweet potato

Researchers studied how polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the uptake and toxicity of hexavalent chromium in sweet potato plants grown in hydroponic conditions. They found that while the combination of microplastics and chromium impacted plant growth, the microplastics actually reduced chromium accumulation in the plants by adsorbing the metal. The study suggests microplastics can alter how heavy metals interact with food crops, with complex implications for agricultural safety.

Adverse multigeneration combined impacts of micro(nano)plastics and emerging pollutants in the aquatic environment

This review examines how micro and nanoplastics combined with other pollutants can cause harm not just to exposed organisms but also to their offspring across multiple generations. The transgenerational effects include changes in growth, reproduction, and gene expression that persist even without continued exposure. This suggests that microplastic pollution could have long-lasting impacts on wildlife populations beyond what single-generation studies reveal.

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in soil of Loess Plateau in northwest China and their relationship with land use type

Researchers measured microplastic levels across different land use types on China's Loess Plateau and found an average abundance of nearly 3,000 particles per kilogram of soil. Construction land and cultivated areas had the highest concentrations, while grassland and woodland had lower levels. The study demonstrates that human land use patterns directly influence how much microplastic accumulates in soil across this important agricultural region.

Co-exposure to microplastics and soil pollutants significantly exacerbates toxicity to crops: Insights from a global meta and machine-learning analysis

A large-scale analysis of 68 studies found that when microplastics combine with other soil pollutants, the harm to crops is significantly worse than from the other pollutants alone. Microplastics intensified damage to plant growth, increased oxidative stress, and reduced photosynthesis efficiency. Interestingly, microplastics did reduce the amount of other pollutants that accumulated in the crops, but the overall toxic effects on plant health were still greater.

Detection and Treatment of Emerging Contaminants in Wastewater

This book provides a comprehensive overview of how to detect and treat emerging contaminants in wastewater, including microplastics, pharmaceuticals, and antibiotic-resistant genes. It covers how microplastics behave in different treatment plants and accumulate in sewage sludge, highlighting gaps in current cleanup methods. The work is important because wastewater treatment is a key point where microplastics can either be captured or released into the environment and eventually into drinking water.

Cooperation of Lactoplantibacillus plantarum and polyethylene microplastics facilitated the disappearance of tetracycline during anaerobic fermentation of whole plant maize

Researchers studied how the probiotic Lactoplantibacillus plantarum and polyethylene microplastics together affect the breakdown of tetracycline antibiotics during silage fermentation of maize. They found that the combination of bacteria and microplastics accelerated tetracycline disappearance by creating extremely acidic conditions. The findings suggest complex interactions between microplastics and beneficial microbes in agricultural systems that warrant further investigation.

Effects of microplastics on soil environment and land plant growth: a review

This review examines how microplastics affect soil quality and plant growth through both direct toxicity and indirect changes to soil properties. Researchers found that microplastics can accumulate in plant tissues after entering the soil and may transfer through the food chain. The study highlights that soil microplastic contamination is a growing ecological concern that remains understudied compared to marine environments.

Microplastics transport in soils: A critical review

Researchers reviewed how microplastics move through soil, finding that their transport depends on a complex mix of particle properties, soil chemistry, water flow, and biological activity — and that these factors often interact in ways that produce contradictory results across studies. The review maps these knowledge gaps and calls for more controlled experiments to predict where microplastics accumulate and how they might reach groundwater or crops.

Types of vegetables shape composition, diversity, and co-occurrence networks of soil bacteria and fungi in karst areas of southwest China

Researchers examined how different vegetable crops influence the composition of soil bacteria and fungi in karst landscapes of southwest China. They found that the type of vegetable grown significantly shaped the diversity and co-occurrence patterns of soil microbial communities. The findings provide a foundation for understanding how agricultural practices affect soil health in ecologically fragile karst environments.

Influence of cadmium and microplastics on physiological responses, ultrastructure and rhizosphere microbial community of duckweed

Researchers studied the combined effects of cadmium and polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on duckweed, an aquatic plant. Interestingly, the study found that microplastics combined with cadmium actually reduced the heavy metal's toxicity to the plant compared to cadmium exposure alone, while also increasing the diversity of beneficial microbes in the root zone.

Microplastic distribution and migration in soil, water and sediments in Caohai Lake under the different hydrological periods, Southwest China

Researchers investigated microplastic distribution in soil, water, and sediments of Caohai Lake in southwest China during dry and wet seasons. They found that all environmental compartments were contaminated with microplastics, with particle types and abundance varying between hydrological periods. The study suggests that seasonal water level changes influence how microplastics migrate and distribute across lake ecosystems.

Occurrence, influencing factors and sources of atmospheric microplastics in peri-urban farmland ecosystems of Beijing, China

Researchers measured atmospheric microplastic deposition in farmland areas on the outskirts of Beijing and found an average of about 167 particles per square meter per day settling from the air. The majority were tiny fibers made of polyester and rayon, likely originating from textile sources and urban activities. The study demonstrates that atmospheric fallout is a meaningful pathway for microplastic contamination of agricultural soils near cities.

Effects of soil properties and land use patterns on the distribution of microplastics: A case study in southwest China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in soils across different land use types in Guizhou Province, southwest China. The study found that soil properties and land use patterns significantly influence microplastic abundance and distribution, with agricultural and urban soils generally showing higher contamination levels than less intensively managed areas.

Identification and visualization of environmental microplastics by Raman imaging based on hyperspectral unmixing coupled machine learning

Researchers developed a new method combining Raman imaging with machine learning to identify and visualize microplastics in environmental samples without destroying them. The technique can distinguish between different polymer types and map their distribution within a sample. The study offers a faster, more accurate approach to microplastic detection that could improve environmental monitoring efforts.

Distribution and removal mechanism of microplastics in urban wastewater plants systems via different processes

Researchers compared the microplastic removal efficiency of three wastewater treatment technologies and found that the anaerobic-anoxic-oxic process achieved the highest removal rate at 83.9%. Most microplastics were transferred to sludge during primary and secondary treatment stages, with dehydrated sludge containing significant concentrations. The study highlights that while wastewater treatment plants effectively intercept most microplastics, they also redistribute contamination to sludge, which may become a secondary pollution source.