Papers

Do Added Microplastics, Native Soil Properties, and Prevailing Climatic Conditions Have Consequences for Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Soil? A Global Data Synthesis of Pot and Greenhouse Studies

This meta-analysis examined how microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, which are key to soil fertility. The results show that certain types of plastics — especially smaller, fiber-shaped particles — can significantly alter soil chemistry, potentially affecting crop growth and soil health.

Pesticides and Heavy Metal Toxicity in Fish and Possible Remediation – A Review

This review summarizes how pesticides and heavy metals in water harm fish through damage to their gills, liver, kidneys, and reproductive organs, and discusses potential remediation approaches. While focused on chemical pollutants, the review notes that microplastics in water can act as carriers for these toxins, concentrating and transporting them into fish tissue. Since contaminated fish can end up on our plates, these combined pollution effects are relevant to human food safety.

Harmful effects of the microplastic pollution on animal health: a literature review

This review summarizes research on how microplastics affect the health of both aquatic organisms and lab animals like mice and rats. The animal studies suggest that microplastics could have a significant negative impact on human health, but the results are still mixed because experiments vary widely in plastic type, particle size, and dosage. More standardized research is needed before we can draw firm conclusions about the risks to people.

Impact of long-term conventional and biodegradable film mulching on microplastic abundance, soil structure and organic carbon in a cotton field

Researchers compared microplastic levels in cotton fields after 23 years of plastic film mulching and found that switching to biodegradable film actually produced more total microplastics than continuing with conventional polyethylene film. The biodegradable film broke down into many small particles that also reduced beneficial soil microbes and dissolved organic carbon. This challenges the idea that biodegradable agricultural films are a simple solution to farmland plastic pollution.

Urban ecosystem services research in Russia: Systematic review on the state of the art

Despite its classification in this database, this systematic review examines urban ecosystem services research in Russia — not microplastic research. It found that Russian studies focus primarily on large cities, with key challenges including anthropogenic pressure on soils and vegetation, urban green space quality, and integration of ecosystem services into urban planning.

Time-dependent effects of microplastics on soil bacteriome

Researchers studied how six common types of microplastics affect soil bacteria over time at realistic contamination levels. The effects were slow to appear due to the chemical stability of plastics, but over time, microplastics altered bacterial community structure and soil functions in ways that differed by plastic type. This matters because changes to soil bacteria can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on food quality.

Microplastics alter soil structure and microbial community composition

Researchers found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics break down soil structure in similar ways, increasing the proportion of smaller soil clumps while reducing larger, more stable ones. The microplastics also significantly altered soil bacterial communities, with effects varying by particle size. This matters because changes to soil health can affect the food we grow and the broader ecosystem services that soil provides.

Microplastics as vectors of other contaminants: Analytical determination techniques and remediation methods

This review examines how microplastics act as carriers for other pollutants, absorbing harmful organic and inorganic chemicals from the environment. It covers the latest methods for detecting and identifying microplastics in different settings, as well as promising cleanup approaches like microbial degradation. The findings underscore that microplastics may be more dangerous than the plastic itself because of the toxic hitchhikers they carry into the food chain and water supply.

Degradable film mulching increases soil carbon sequestration in major Chinese dryland agroecosystems

Researchers compared biodegradable and conventional plastic film mulches used in farming and found that biodegradable films increased carbon storage in soil while traditional plastic mulch reduced it, suggesting that switching to biodegradable alternatives could help fight climate change while cutting plastic pollution.

Impact of aquatic microplastics and nanoplastics pollution on ecological systems and sustainable remediation strategies of biodegradation and photodegradation

This review covers the impact of microplastics and nanoplastics on aquatic ecosystems and evaluates emerging remediation strategies. Researchers examined how these particles enter food chains and pose health risks when ingested by aquatic organisms or humans. The study highlights promising biodegradation and photodegradation approaches, including microbial, enzymatic, and metal oxide-assisted methods, as eco-friendly ways to break down microplastic contamination.

Chitosan-Based Films Blended with Tannic Acid and Moringa Oleifera for Application in Food Packaging: The Preservation of Strawberries (Fragaria ananassa)

Researchers developed biodegradable food packaging films made from chitosan blended with tannic acid and moringa seed powder, and tested them for strawberry preservation. They found that the bio-based films extended strawberry shelf life while providing antimicrobial properties, offering a potential alternative to conventional plastic packaging. The study suggests that natural polymer-based packaging materials could help reduce plastic waste in the food industry.

Vis-NIR Spectroscopy for Soil Organic Carbon Assessment: A Meta-Analysis

This meta-analysis of 134 studies found that Vis-NIR spectroscopy models for predicting soil organic carbon content vary significantly in accuracy depending on preprocessing methods, spectral range, and modeling approaches. The research identifies best practices for remote soil carbon assessment, which is relevant to monitoring soil health in areas affected by microplastic contamination.

Distribution of microplastics in the soils of a petrochemical industrial region in China: Ecological and Human Health Risks

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in soils across a major petrochemical industrial region in China and found concentrations ranging from 714 to over 11,000 particles per kilogram. Educational land had the highest contamination levels, and ecological risk assessments showed nearly all land-use types were at the highest risk level. The study also found that infants face significantly higher daily microplastic exposure than adults, underscoring the need for targeted pollution management in industrial urban areas.

Algal Consortiums: A Novel and Integrated Approach for Wastewater Treatment

This review examines how consortiums of algae combined with bacteria or fungi can be used as an integrated biological approach to wastewater treatment. Researchers found that algal consortium systems achieve higher pollutant removal efficiency than algae monocultures due to symbiotic relationships between the organisms. The study discusses the mechanisms of these partnerships and their potential for large-scale wastewater remediation.

Polylactic acid microplastics induced negative priming and improved carbon sequestration via microbial processes in different paddy soils

Microbial Physiological Adaptation to Biodegradable Microplastics Drives the Transformation and Reactivity of Dissolved Organic Matter in Soil

Researchers studied how soil microbes adapt to biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PHA) and how this affects dissolved organic matter in agricultural soil over 56 days. They found that PLA tripled the oxidation of plant-derived organic matter by activating lignin decomposition pathways, while PHA doubled microbially derived compounds by accelerating bacterial protein synthesis and cell turnover. The study suggests that different biodegradable plastics trigger distinct microbial strategies that reshape soil carbon cycling.

Combating plastic pollution in international law: <i>lex lata</i> and <i>lex ferenda</i>

This paper examines the current state of international law addressing plastic pollution, analyzing both existing legal frameworks and proposed future regulations. The study highlights that global plastic production has surged to 390 million tons annually with only 9% recycled, underscoring the urgent need for a comprehensive international treaty.

Sustainable Energy Efficient Human-Centered Digital Solutions for ESG Megacities Development

This study developed algorithms to assist municipal governments in making optimal environmental decisions for sustainable smart city development, integrating energy efficiency, human-centered design, and ESG considerations.

Dietary Tartaric Acid Improves Growth Performance, Gut Microbiota, Digestive Enzyme Activities, Hemolymph Immunity, Antioxidant Markers, and Disease Resistance against Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Pacific White Shrimp

Researchers tested dietary tartaric acid as a feed supplement for Pacific white shrimp and found that moderate doses improved growth performance, digestive enzyme activity, and immune responses. Shrimp fed with tartaric acid also showed enhanced antioxidant markers and higher survival rates when challenged with a bacterial pathogen. The study suggests tartaric acid could be a beneficial organic acid additive in shrimp aquaculture.

Biochar and Microplastics Affect Microbial Necromass Accumulation and CO₂ and N₂O Emissions from Soil

Researchers investigated how biochar and polyethylene microplastics interact in soil and found that both reduced CO2 and N2O greenhouse gas emissions, though through different mechanisms. Microplastics decreased emissions primarily by reducing dissolved organic matter and bacterial biomass, while biochar suppressed nitrogen-cycling genes. When combined, microplastics in biochar-treated soil unexpectedly increased microbial necromass carbon by disrupting soil aggregates, revealing complex interactions between these two soil amendments.

The Role of Danio rerio in Understanding Pollutant-Induced Gut Microbiome Dysbiosis in Aquatic Ecosystems

This review examines how freshwater pollutants—including pesticides, heavy metals, antibiotics, dyes, and microplastics—disrupt gut microbiome composition in zebrafish and other aquatic animals. It highlights the zebrafish model as a key tool for understanding pollutant-driven microbiome dysbiosis and its metabolic consequences.

AI-based wastewater treatment for a circular economy and sustainable management of PFAS, heavy metals, microplastics, and antibiotics

This review examined how artificial intelligence can be integrated into wastewater treatment systems to improve removal of emerging contaminants including PFAS, heavy metals, microplastics, and antibiotics. The authors conclude that AI-driven optimization offers significant potential for a circular economy approach to water treatment.

Polyethylene microplastics hamper aged biochar’s potential in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions

Polyethylene microplastics (1–5% by weight) significantly reduced the greenhouse gas-mitigating benefits of aged biochar in agricultural soil, decreasing soil aggregation and altering dissolved organic matter dynamics—raising concerns about microplastic interference with biochar-based carbon sequestration strategies.

High-Dose Biochar Hinders Micro/Nanoplastic-Induced Soil Positive Priming by Reducing Substrate Quality and Microbial Activity

A 70-day incubation experiment found that high-dose biochar application reduced micro/nanoplastic-induced soil positive priming effects by decreasing the quality of dissolved organic carbon available to microbes. This suggests that biochar soil management can help offset the carbon sequestration losses caused by microplastic-driven acceleration of organic matter turnover.