Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

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.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Environmental Pollution 60 citations
Article Tier 2

Negative effects of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics on Arabidopsis and its root-associated microbiome

Researchers found that the biodegradable plastic PBAT had greater inhibitory effects on Arabidopsis growth than conventional LDPE microplastics, disrupting photosynthesis and altering root-associated microbial communities in ways that suggest biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil ecosystems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 149 citations
Article Tier 2

Negative effects of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics on Arabidopsis and its root-associated microbiome

Researchers investigated the effects of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) biodegradable microplastics on Arabidopsis thaliana and its root-associated microbiome, finding that PBAT-MPs at tested concentrations in agricultural soil caused negative impacts on plant growth and altered the composition of root-zone microbial communities.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effect of different additions of low-density polyethylene and microplastics polyadipate/butylene terephthalate on soil bacterial community structure

Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable PBAT microplastics and traditional LDPE microplastics on soil bacterial communities. The study found that PBAT significantly altered soil nutrient levels and bacterial community structure in a dose-dependent manner, with low additions increasing microbial richness while higher amounts reduced it. Evidence indicates that PBAT microplastics may disrupt soil carbon-nitrogen cycling and affect key processes like nitrogen fixation and phosphorus availability.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Negative effects of poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics on Arabidopsis and its root-associated microbiome

Researchers investigated the effects of poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastics on Arabidopsis thaliana growth and root-associated microbiome composition in agricultural soil, at a concentration of 2% by weight. Results revealed negative effects on plant growth and alterations to the rhizosphere microbial community, raising concerns about the ecological safety of this widely used biodegradable mulch film material.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Short-term exposure to biodegradable mulch-film microplastics at field-realistic levels shows no effect on lettuce performance and soil health

Researchers ran an 8-week outdoor pot experiment exposing lettuce to environmentally relevant concentrations of PBAT, starch-based, and polyethylene microplastics, finding no significant differences in plant biomass, soil nutrient availability, or microbial activity, suggesting short-term low-dose biodegradable microplastic exposure may not impair lettuce growth or soil health.

2026 Microplastics and Nanoplastics
Article Tier 2

Effects of Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil andLettuce Health: Rhizosphere Microbiome and Metabolome Responses

Two biodegradable microplastics (PBAT and PHB) were applied to soil and lettuce was grown to assess effects on rhizosphere microbiome composition and plant metabolome, finding that both biodegradable MPs altered soil microbial communities and plant metabolic responses differently.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Poly (butylene adipate terephthalate) degradation products and their influence on plant progression and soil microbial diversity

This study examined how the biodegradable plastic PBAT degrades in soil and what effects its degradation products have on Chinese cabbage growth and soil microbial diversity, finding that degradation varied with particle size and that soil microbiomes shifted as PBAT broke down. The findings matter for assessing whether "biodegradable" mulch films truly disappear benignly or leave behind microplastic fragments and microbial disruption in agricultural soils.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable PBAT microplastics adversely affect pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) growth and the rhizosphere ecology: Focusing on rhizosphere microbial community composition, element metabolic potential, and root exudates

Researchers compared biodegradable PBAT plastic microplastics with conventional polyethylene microplastics in soil and found that the biodegradable version actually caused more harm to plant growth and soil health. PBAT microplastics reduced nutrient availability, disrupted the soil microbial community, and altered root chemistry more than conventional plastic. This finding challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil C-N and microbial community were altered by polybutylene adipate terephthalate microplastics

Researchers investigated how biodegradable polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT) microplastics affect soil carbon, nitrogen, and microbial communities in soils planted with soybean and maize. The study found that PBAT microplastics significantly altered dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen levels, increased microbial biomass, and shifted bacterial and fungal community composition, suggesting that even biodegradable microplastics may disrupt soil nutrient cycling in plant-specific ways.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Molecular insights into effects of PBAT microplastics on latosol microbial diversity and DOM chemodiversity

Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics significantly altered soil microbial community diversity and dissolved organic matter composition in tropical latosol over 120 days, with effects intensifying at higher microplastic concentrations.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Multiyear Biodegradable Plastic Mulch on Soil Microbial Community, Assembly, and Functioning

This study examined how using biodegradable plastic mulch (PBAT) on farmland for multiple years affected soil microbes. The mulch changed the types of bacteria and fungi in the soil, including encouraging bacteria that may help break down plastic but also disrupting natural nutrient cycling. The findings raise questions about whether biodegradable plastic alternatives are truly safe for long-term agricultural use, since they still alter soil ecosystems as they break down into microplastics.

2025 Microorganisms 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient

Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT-starch mulching film microplastics on soil properties, microbial diversity, litter decomposition, and greenhouse gas emissions across soils from multiple European climates, finding type- and concentration-dependent effects on soil ecosystem function.

2025 Refubium (Universitätsbibliothek der Freien Universität Berlin)
Article Tier 2

The plastisphere of biodegradable and conventional microplastics from residues exhibit distinct microbial structure, network and function in plastic-mulching farmland

Researchers compared the bacterial communities that colonize biodegradable and conventional plastic microplastics in farmland soil. They found that biodegradable plastics (PBAT/PLA) and conventional polyethylene each attracted distinct microbial communities with different functions, including bacteria that could degrade plastics or cycle nutrients. The results suggest that even biodegradable plastics create unique microbial environments in soil that may affect soil health and function in unexpected ways.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil biota modulate the effects of microplastics on biomass and diversity of plant communities

Researchers used mesocosm experiments with natural soil biota to compare the effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on plant community biomass and diversity. Soil biota modulated the impact of microplastics, with biodegradable plastics showing similar effects to conventional plastics on plant community structure, challenging the assumption that biodegradable alternatives are environmentally benign.

2024 Journal of Applied Ecology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of a mixture of mulching film microplastics on soil properties, microbial activities, and plants in terrestrial mesocosms with and without earthworms

Researchers assessed the effects of a mixture of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT mulching film microplastics on soil ecosystems using terrestrial mesocosms. The study found that microplastics increased soil compaction and stimulated microbial respiration while reducing nitrogen cycling, and although plant growth appeared unaffected, biochemical analysis revealed oxidative stress responses in lettuce at the molecular level.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Quantitative methodology for poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastic detection in soil and compost

Researchers developed a quantitative methodology for detecting poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) microplastics in soil and compost matrices, addressing the need to monitor biodegradable mulch film fragmentation and mineralization in agricultural environments. The method enabled accurate measurement of PBAT microplastic concentrations across environmentally relevant matrices, providing a tool to assess the fate of biodegradable plastics in agroecosystems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Addition of biodegradable microplastics alters the quantity and chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in latosol

Researchers found that adding biodegradable PBAT microplastics to tropical soil increased microbial and enzyme activity, which in turn altered the quantity and chemical diversity of dissolved organic matter, suggesting biodegradable plastics still significantly affect soil biogeochemistry.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 100 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Pollution 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of LDPE and biodegradable PBAT primary microplastics on bacterial community after four months of soil incubation

Researchers compared the effects of conventional polyethylene (LDPE) and biodegradable PBAT microplastics on soil bacterial communities over four months. They found that both types of microplastics altered soil microbial community composition, but PBAT had a more pronounced effect due to its biodegradability providing additional carbon sources. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil ecosystems than conventional plastics.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 229 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of soybean and maize roots and soil enzyme activities to biodegradable microplastics contaminated soil

Researchers tested how biodegradable microplastics from PBAT plastic film affect soybean and maize root growth and soil health. They found that higher concentrations of these microplastics in soil reduced root length, surface area, and biomass in soybean by up to 34%, while also altering key soil enzyme activities. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastic residues in agricultural soil may disrupt plant growth and nutrient cycling.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 67 citations
Article Tier 2

The fate of post-use biodegradable PBAT-based mulch films buried in agricultural soil

Scientists tracked the breakdown of a biodegradable mulch film in farm soil over 16 months and found that while the film lost more than half its surface area, it released microplastics into the surrounding soil during the process. About 17-23% of the original film material was still recoverable from the soil after nearly 500 days. The study shows that even biodegradable plastics can be a source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-density polyethylene microplastics alter chemical properties and microbial communities in agricultural soil

Researchers found that adding low-density polyethylene microplastics to agricultural soil at concentrations of 1% and above significantly altered soil chemistry and bacterial community structure. The study suggests that microplastic contamination from plastic mulch and other agricultural inputs may shift microbial diversity in ways that could affect long-term soil health.

2023 Scientific Reports 55 citations