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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of Soil Microplastics on Plant Growth and Soil Health
ClearEffects of polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on the soil-rhizosphere-plant system: Phytotoxicity, enzyme activity, and microbial community
Researchers tested how three common types of microplastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polypropylene) affect lettuce growth and soil health. All three types inhibited plant growth, disrupted antioxidant systems in the leaves, and altered the microbial communities in the soil around roots, with polystyrene and polypropylene causing the most disturbance.
Microplastics Can Change Soil Properties and Affect Plant Performance
Researchers tested six different types of microplastics in soil and found that they altered key soil properties including water-holding capacity, bulk density, and microbial activity. These changes in soil structure had cascading effects on plant growth, with some microplastic types reducing above-ground biomass. The study demonstrates that microplastics can fundamentally change how soil functions, with consequences for plant health and ecosystem stability.
Effect of different types and shapes of microplastics on the growth of lettuce
Researchers tested how different types and shapes of microplastics in soil affect lettuce growth in pot experiments. They found that polyvinyl chloride fragments had the most negative impact on lettuce weight and root development, while low-density polyethylene fibers showed less effect. The study indicates that the type and shape of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils matters significantly for crop health outcomes.
Effects of Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil and Lettuce Health: Rhizosphere Microbiome and Metabolome Responses
Researchers tested how two common biodegradable microplastics affect lettuce growth and the microbial communities around its roots. At higher concentrations, both types of biodegradable plastics inhibited lettuce growth and significantly disrupted the balance of beneficial soil microbes and plant metabolic processes. The findings suggest that even plastics marketed as biodegradable can negatively impact soil health and crop development when present in sufficient quantities.
Micro plastic driving changes in the soil microbes and lettuce growth under the influence of heavy metals contaminated soil
Researchers studied how microplastics interact with heavy metals in contaminated soil and their combined effects on lettuce growth and soil bacteria. Different types of microplastics altered soil chemistry and changed which microbes thrived, sometimes making heavy metals more available to plants. The study suggests that microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could affect both the safety and nutritional quality of leafy vegetables that people eat.
Effect of microplastics on dry matter content in Lactuca sativa L.
This study tested the effects of microplastic particles on dry matter content in lettuce plants, finding that microplastic exposure affected plant biomass production. As agricultural soils accumulate microplastics, their effects on crop yield and nutritional quality become important food safety concerns.
Lettuce seed germination in the presence of microplastic contamination
This study examined the effects of microplastic contamination on lettuce seed germination, finding that microplastics in soil altered physiological processes such as water retention and chlorophyll production, with implications for food safety and agricultural ecosystems.
Responses of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and soil properties to conventional non-biodegradable and new biodegradable microplastics
Scientists compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional polyethylene microplastics on lettuce growth and soil health. Both types of microplastics reduced plant growth, damaged photosynthesis, and altered soil nutrient levels, but biodegradable PBAT microplastics actually caused more disruption to soil microbial communities. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are necessarily safer for agricultural ecosystems.
Effects of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on soil-plant microbial dynamics
This study examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with heavy metals in soil and found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth while altering soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. The combination of microplastics and heavy metals disrupted nutrient cycling in the soil in ways that were different from either pollutant alone. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop nutrition and food production.
Increasing concentration of pure micro- and macro-LDPE and PP plastic negatively affect crop biomass, nutrient cycling, and microbial biomass
Researchers grew maize in soil mixed with pure polyethylene and polypropylene plastics of different sizes and found that higher plastic concentrations reduced crop biomass, disrupted nutrient cycling, and decreased soil microbial activity. Even plastics without chemical additives negatively affected plant growth, showing that the plastic material itself is harmful to soil health. This matters for food security because agricultural soils are accumulating plastic from mulch films and other farming materials.
Impact of Plastic Residues on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity: A Comprehensive Research Study
This agricultural field study assessed how plastic residues at varying contamination levels affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and crop productivity, finding that higher microplastic concentrations disrupted soil structure, reduced microbial activity, and lowered plant growth.
The short-term effect of microplastics in lettuce involves size- and dose-dependent coordinate shaping of root metabolome, exudation profile and rhizomicrobiome
Researchers exposed lettuce plants to polyethylene plastic particles of four different sizes and concentrations, finding that the plastics altered root chemistry, changed what the roots released into the soil, and shifted the bacteria living around them. The effects depended strongly on particle size, with smaller particles causing different metabolic changes than larger ones. This study shows that microplastics in farm soil can change the biology of food crops from the roots up, potentially affecting both crop health and nutritional quality.
Bio-effects of bio-based and fossil-based microplastics: Case study with lettuce-soil system
Researchers compared the effects of bio-based (PEF) and fossil-based (PET) microplastics on lettuce growth and soil microbial communities over 21 days at multiple concentrations. They found that both types inhibited lettuce growth by reducing chlorophyll content and root development, and both altered soil bacterial community composition. The study suggests that bio-based plastics are not necessarily safer for soil ecosystems than conventional plastics when they fragment into microplastics.
Effect of polyethylene particles on dibutyl phthalate toxicity in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.).
Polyethylene microplastic fragments in soil reduced the uptake of the plasticizer chemical dibutyl phthalate (DBP) into lettuce roots but worsened its inhibitory effects on root growth. The complex interactions between microplastics and co-occurring chemical contaminants like phthalates can alter toxicity in unexpected ways, affecting both plant growth and the safety of food crops.
Studies on the impact of aged microplastics on agricultural soil enzyme activity, lettuce growth, and oxidative stress
This study examined how aged microplastics from three common plastics (polystyrene, polyethylene, and polylactic acid) affect soil health and lettuce growth. Researchers found that high concentrations of biodegradable PLA plastic actually reduced lettuce weight by over 58%, while all three plastic types triggered oxidative stress in the plants. The results show that even so-called eco-friendly biodegradable plastics can harm crops and soil when they accumulate at higher levels.
Response of soil biochemical properties and ecosystem function to microplastics pollution
This study found that polyethylene microplastics significantly disrupted soil health by reducing enzyme activity, lowering nutrient availability, and impairing overall ecosystem function. Smaller microplastics caused more damage than larger ones, and the effects were dose-dependent, suggesting that as microplastic pollution accumulates in agricultural soil, it could increasingly threaten the soil health that food production depends on.
Assessment of microplastic pollution on soil health and crop responses: Insights from dose-dependent pot experiments
Researchers combined field investigation and pot experiments to assess how microplastic contamination at different doses affects soil health indicators and crop growth performance. Field soils showed measurable microplastic contamination, and pot experiments demonstrated dose-dependent effects on soil enzyme activity, water retention, and plant growth metrics.
Assessment of physiological stress on plants grown in soil contaminated with microplastics
Researchers tested how three types of microplastics (PET, HDPE, and polyester) affect the growth and health of spring onion and okra plants. They found that all microplastic types reduced chlorophyll levels, increased oxidative stress, and stunted plant growth, with HDPE and polyester causing the most damage. The study highlights the potential ecological risks microplastics pose to vegetable crops grown in contaminated soil.
Microplastic shape, concentration and polymer type affect soil properties and plant biomass
Experiments showed that microplastic shape, concentration, and polymer type all influence soil physical properties and plant biomass, with certain types reducing plant growth. The findings highlight that the wide variety of plastic particle types entering soils creates complex and variable ecological risks.
Toxic Impact of Soil Microplastics (PVC) on Two Weeds: Changes in Growth, Phenology and Photosynthesis Efficiency
Researchers found that PVC microplastics in soil negatively affected growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and phenological timing in two weed species, with effects varying by concentration and plant species, suggesting that soil microplastic contamination can alter plant community dynamics in agricultural and natural ecosystems.
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.
Impact of Microplastics on Soil Health: Soil-Water Retention, Shrinkage and Holding Properties
A review of research on microplastics in soil found that plastic particles can alter water retention, shrinkage, and structural properties in ways that could reduce agricultural productivity. Because microplastics are as prevalent in soils as in oceans, their terrestrial impacts warrant much greater research attention.
Foliar exposure to microplastics disrupts lettuce metabolism and negatively interferes with symbiotic microbial communities
When microplastics were sprayed onto lettuce leaves to simulate airborne contamination, the plants showed reduced chlorophyll and photosynthesis rates of up to 81%, even though they appeared to grow normally. The microplastics also disrupted beneficial bacteria on the leaves and in the soil around the roots, including bacteria that help plants grow. This suggests that airborne microplastics landing on crops could quietly reduce their health and productivity while also harming the soil ecosystem.
Microplastic: Evaluating the Impact on Soil-Microbes and Plant System
This review examines how microplastics affect soil microbial communities and plant systems in agricultural settings, documenting impacts on soil health, microbial diversity, and crop physiology. As microplastics accumulate in farmland soils through irrigation, sludge application, and plastic mulches, their effects on the soil ecosystem that underpins food production are a growing concern.