Papers

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Article Tier 2

Microplastics induced the differential responses of microbial-driven soil carbon and nitrogen cycles under warming

Researchers examined how the combination of microplastic pollution and warming temperatures affects soil carbon and nitrogen cycling driven by microbial communities. The study found that microplastics altered microbial responses to warming in ways that disrupted both carbon decomposition and nitrogen transformation processes in soil.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Divergent mechanisms of labile phosphorus accumulation in paddy soils under TPU microplastics versus manure-derived hydrochar: roles of dissolved organic matter and bacterial communities

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles and a charcoal-like material called hydrochar can increase the amount of phosphorus available to rice plants in soil by 14-21%. Both materials work by changing the soil's chemistry and the helpful bacteria that live in it, but they do it in different ways. This matters because phosphorus is essential for growing healthy crops, and understanding how plastic pollution affects soil could help farmers maintain productive rice fields.

2026 Carbon Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics shape microbial communities affecting soil organic matter decomposition in paddy soil

Researchers found that microplastics shape soil microbial communities in paddy soils in ways that affect organic matter decomposition, revealing how bacterial succession and carbon cycling are altered by microplastic presence in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 181 citations
Article Tier 2

Phosphorus fertiliser application mitigates the negative effects of microplastic on soil microbes and rice growth

Researchers found that adding phosphorus fertilizer to soil contaminated with microplastics helped counteract the negative effects of the plastics on rice growth and soil microbial communities. The microplastics alone disrupted bacterial interactions and suppressed plant development, but fertilizer application restored much of the lost productivity. The study offers practical guidance for managing agricultural soils in areas affected by microplastic pollution.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic additions alter soil organic matter stability and bacterial community under varying temperature in two contrasting soils

Researchers found that both polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics increased soil CO2 emissions and dissolved organic carbon, with effects more pronounced at higher temperatures and in organic-rich Black soil, suggesting microplastics destabilize soil organic matter.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 173 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic Contamination on Phosphorus Availability, Alkaline Phosphatase Activity, and Polymer Degradation in Soil

Researchers studied how different types of microplastics at various concentrations affect phosphorus availability and enzyme activity in soil. They found that microplastics altered phosphorus cycling both by directly supplying phosphorus in some cases and by changing microbial enzyme function. The study suggests that microplastic contamination could disrupt soil nutrient dynamics important for maintaining agricultural productivity.

2025 Polymers 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in heavy metal-contaminated soil drives bacterial community and metabolic changes

Researchers found that adding common microplastics to soil already contaminated with heavy metals significantly changed the bacterial communities and their metabolic processes. The microplastics increased competition among bacteria and shifted how they process energy, while Proteobacteria became more abundant as a stress response. This matters because when microplastics and heavy metals combine in agricultural soil, they may disrupt the microbial ecosystems that keep soil healthy for growing food.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbes drive metabolism, community diversity, and interactions in response to microplastic-induced nutrient imbalance

Researchers investigated how conventional and biodegradable microplastics alter soil nutrient balances and the resulting effects on microbial metabolism, community diversity, and species interactions. The study found that microplastic-induced nutrient imbalances significantly influenced soil microbial processes, with different types of microplastics producing distinct effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of the effects of polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations on the plant-soil-microbiota system: A two-year field trial

Researchers conducted a two-year field trial to study how polyethylene microplastics at environmentally relevant concentrations affect crops, soil, and microbial communities in a rice-wheat rotation system. They found that microplastics did not harm wheat growth but actually increased rice grain weight and plant height, while reducing soil nutrient levels including nitrogen and phosphorus. The study reveals that microplastics can alter soil bacterial communities and disrupt metabolic processes in ways that differ between crop seasons.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Influence Phosphate Adsorption in Volcanic Ash Soil

Researchers found that adding polyethylene microplastics to volcanic ash soil slightly increased the soil's ability to hold phosphorus but also made phosphorus easier to wash away, potentially reducing its availability to plants. This suggests microplastic contamination in farmland soils could quietly alter nutrient cycling in ways that affect crop growth.

2025 Journal of soil science and plant nutrition 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic and biochar co-existence on paddy soil bacterial community structure and greenhouse gas emission

Researchers studied how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and biochar, both common in agricultural soils, affect soil bacteria and greenhouse gas emissions during rice cultivation. They found that microplastics alone reduced bacterial diversity, but adding biochar alongside the microplastics partially restored microbial communities and altered gas emissions. The study suggests that biochar may help mitigate some of the negative soil health effects of microplastic contamination in paddy fields.

2021 Environmental Pollution 135 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on the in situ, high-resolution of key nutrient dynamics at the soil-water interface in rice fields

Researchers used a high-resolution in-situ technique (diffusive gradients in thin films) to measure how microplastics alter the cycling of nitrogen and phosphorus at the soil-water interface in rice paddies. They found that microplastics disrupted the normal distribution and exchange of these key nutrients, with significant variation depending on whether nitrogen or phosphorus was measured. Since rice is a global staple crop, disruption of nutrient dynamics in paddy soils by microplastic contamination has direct implications for food security.

2023 Frontiers in Environmental Science 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing Microplastic Pollution and Microbial Community Status in Rice Paddy Soils Across Varied Environmental Settings in Songjiang, Shanghai: An Analysis of Morpho-Chemical Characteristics

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution and associated microbial communities in rice paddy soils, finding widespread microplastic contamination that correlated with shifts in soil bacterial diversity. Plastic-associated microbial communities differed from bulk soil communities, suggesting microplastics create distinct microbial niches in agricultural environments.

2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics alone and co-existence with hydrochar unexpectedly mitigate ammonia volatilization from rice paddy soil and affect structure of soil microbiome

Microplastics added to rice paddy soil unexpectedly reduced ammonia volatilization compared to unamended controls, with combined addition of microplastics and hydrochar further altering ammonia loss patterns, and microplastics changing soil bacterial community structure in ways that may affect nitrogen cycling in irrigated agricultural ecosystems.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of drought and microplastic particle size on soil bacterial community structure

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in soil become more harmful to the beneficial bacteria that keep soil healthy when combined with drought conditions. The smallest plastic particles caused the most damage, reducing the diversity of helpful soil bacteria by up to 29% during dry conditions. This matters because healthy soil bacteria are essential for growing nutritious food, and climate change is making both plastic pollution and droughts more common worldwide.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Effect of Temperature on Microplastic Degradation in Soil Environment

Researchers investigated how temperature affects the degradation of microplastics in soil, testing samples at different temperature conditions over time. They found that higher temperatures accelerated the physical breakdown of plastic particles in the soil environment. The study suggests that climate and seasonal temperature variations may play a role in determining how quickly microplastics fragment into even smaller particles in agricultural and natural soils.

2024 Asian Journal of Science Technology Engineering and Art 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Concurrence of microplastics and heat waves reduces rice yields and disturbs the agroecosystem nitrogen cycle

Researchers found that while microplastics or heat waves alone had mild effects on rice crops, the combination reduced yields by about 32% and significantly lowered grain protein and nutrient content. The dual stress disrupted nitrogen cycling in the soil and shifted nutrient distribution within the plants, reducing photosynthesis. This matters because climate change and plastic pollution are increasing simultaneously in agricultural regions.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Trigger Soil Dissolved Organic Carbon and Nutrient Turnover by Strengthening Microbial Network Connectivity and Cross-Trophic Interactions

This study found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in agricultural soil significantly altered the microbial communities responsible for breaking down organic carbon and recycling nutrients. The microplastics strengthened connections between bacteria, fungi, and other microorganisms in ways that accelerated carbon and nutrient turnover. These changes to fundamental soil processes could affect crop nutrition and long-term soil health on farms contaminated with microplastics.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soil can increase nutrient uptake by wheat

Researchers found that microplastics in soil can increase nutrient uptake by wheat by stimulating microbial activity and altering root interactions, suggesting microplastics may disrupt natural nutrient-cycling strategies in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 98 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups

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.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect C, N, and P cycling in natural environments: Highlighting the driver of soil hydraulic properties

This study found that common microplastics like polyethylene and polypropylene significantly change how soil handles water and nutrients by increasing water content, reducing soil density, and altering bacterial communities involved in nitrogen and carbon cycling. These changes affected how nutrients are stored in soil, with increases of 12 to 93 percent in nitrogen and carbon storage depending on the plastic type and amount. The findings suggest microplastic pollution could disrupt the fundamental soil processes that support food production.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of soil dissolved organic matter to microplastic addition in Chinese loess soil

Researchers added microplastics to loess soil at two concentrations and tracked dissolved organic matter over 30 days, finding that even moderate additions altered the rate of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus release, stimulated soil enzyme activity, and promoted accumulation of high-molecular-weight humic compounds — suggesting microplastic pollution reshapes soil nutrient cycling.

2017 Chemosphere 864 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution drives soil bacterial community shifts and alters phosphorus cycling across land use gradients

Researchers conducted a landscape-scale field study across urban, mining, agricultural, and rural land-use types to measure accumulated microplastic levels and their effects on soil bacterial communities and phosphorus cycling. Microplastic contamination shifted bacterial community composition and impaired phosphorus mineralization, with effects scaling with land-use intensity and microplastic abundance.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Elevated CO2 aggravated polystyrene microplastics effects on the rice-soil system under field conditions

Researchers found that elevated CO2 concentrations aggravate the negative effects of polystyrene microplastics on rice growth and soil bacterial communities under field conditions, suggesting that climate change may worsen microplastic impacts on agriculture.

2022 Environmental Pollution 26 citations