Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of Different Soil Tillage Practices on Microplastic Particle Abundance and Distribution

Field experiments across different tillage and fertilization regimes quantified microplastic abundance and vertical distribution in agricultural soils, finding that tillage practices significantly influenced how deeply microplastics are mixed through the soil profile.

2025 Soil Systems
Article Tier 2

Influences of land use and depth profile on the characteristics of microplastics in agricultural soils

Researchers examined how land use and soil depth profile influence microplastic characteristics in agricultural soils, finding that wastewater and sludge application, plastic mulching, and atmospheric deposition are key sources, and that MP type and abundance vary with soil management practice and depth, highlighting the importance of vertical distribution in soil MP studies.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Incorporation into Soil in Agroecosystems

This study examined how microplastic particles are incorporated into soil in agricultural settings, finding that farming practices — particularly tillage and irrigation — facilitate microplastic mixing through the soil profile.

2017 Frontiers in Plant Science 660 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial distribution of microplastics in Mollisols of the farmland in Northeast China: the role of field management and plastic sources

Researchers investigated how farmland management practices affect the distribution of microplastics in vegetable fields in Northeast China. They found seven types of plastic polymers in soil layers down to 30 centimeters, with larger macroplastic fragments being the primary source of microplastic contamination. Higher fertilization doses contributed more to microplastic generation than tillage frequency.

2025 Geoderma 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Macro and microplastics in the soil: abundance, characterization, identification, and interactions under different land uses in an agricultural sub-basin

Researchers examined the abundance, characterization, identification, and interactions of macro- and microplastics in soils under different land uses within an agricultural sub-basin, assessing how land-use patterns influence plastic pollution distribution and potential interactions with the soil environment.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

An Overview of the Impact of Tillage and Cropping Systems on Soil Health in Agricultural Practices

This review examines how different farming methods, from conventional plowing to zero-tillage systems, affect overall soil health including microbial activity and structure. Conservation tillage and crop rotation can improve soil biology and reduce erosion compared to intensive plowing. The findings are relevant to microplastic research because tillage practices affect how plastic fragments from mulch films and other sources get distributed through soil layers.

2023 Advances in Agriculture 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical distributions of microplastics in long-term mulched soils and their potential impacts on soil properties and microbial diversity

Microplastic concentrations were measured at different depths in agricultural soils that had been mulched with plastic film over many years, finding vertical stratification with higher concentrations near the surface. Long-term plastic mulching leads to progressive accumulation of microplastics throughout the soil profile.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics pollution modulated by farming regimes under multi-scenarios

Microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils were found to vary with farming regimes, with certain practices under mulching leading to higher accumulation. The study highlights how common agricultural methods contribute to soil microplastic pollution and supports calls for better plastic mulch management.

2025 iScience 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic distribution and transport in agricultural soils : from field to burrow scale

Researchers investigated the spatial distribution and transport of microplastics in agricultural soils through field surveys and laboratory experiments. They found that sewage sludge amendments led to significantly higher microplastic contamination than mineral fertilizers, and that earthworm activity was a key mechanism for moving plastic particles deeper into soil. The study highlights the importance of accounting for both horizontal and vertical microplastic transport in soils when assessing agricultural pollution.

2024 Acta universitatis agriculturae Sueciae 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct microplastic distributions in soils of different land-use types: A case study of Chinese farmlands

Microplastic distribution across six types of farmland land use was surveyed from soils in five Chinese provinces to determine how agricultural practices shape soil microplastic contamination. The study found that microplastic abundance varied significantly by land-use type, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation practices as key contributing factors.

2020 Environmental Pollution 278 citations
Article Tier 2

Processes controlling the transportation of microplastics in agricultural soils

Researchers investigated the physical processes controlling microplastic transport through agricultural soils, examining how soil structure, water flow, bioturbation, and particle properties interact to move microplastics from surface application sites deeper into the soil profile or laterally toward aquatic systems. The study addressed the dual role of agricultural soils as both sinks and potential sources of microplastic pollution to surrounding environments.

2022
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution of microplastics in urban farmland soils. A case of Mabibo Bonde la Mchicha farm, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Researchers mapped the vertical distribution of microplastics in farmland soils in an urban fringe area, finding that particles were not uniformly distributed by depth and that agricultural tillage influenced vertical mixing. Fibers and fragments were most abundant, predominantly from agricultural plastic films and irrigation water.

2024 Environmental Advances 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical distribution and characteristics of soil microplastics under different land use patterns: A case study of Shouguang City, China

Researchers systematically investigated microplastic distribution across seven land use types and three soil depth layers in Shouguang City, China. The study found that greenhouse and polytunnel agricultural soils had the highest microplastic abundance, dominated by polyethylene and polypropylene film fragments, with concentrations decreasing with depth but still reaching 11-19% of total levels in the deepest layer at 40-60 centimeters.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution pattern and risk assessment of microplastics contamination in different agricultural systems

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across six sites in Coimbatore, India with distinct farming practices, finding microplastics in 81% of organic matter-removed samples. The study revealed that different agronomic inputs and land management practices produce distinct microplastic contamination profiles.

2024 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agricultural Soil

This book chapter surveys microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, reviewing the sources of plastic inputs, concentrations found in different farming systems, and the effects of MPs on soil properties, microbial communities, and crop yields.

2025
Article Tier 2

Microplastics abundance associated with farmland use types and the impact on soil microbial communities: A case study in Southern China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across orchard, paddy field, and vegetable field soils in Southern China and analyzed how it affected soil microbial communities. They found microplastic levels ranging widely across sites, with very small particles under 30 micrometers being most common, and identified 32 different polymer types. The study shows that farmland use type and agricultural practices like plastic mulching significantly influence both the amount and type of microplastic contamination in soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils: Source apportionment and impact on soil microbial community structure

Researchers investigated microplastic accumulation patterns in intensively farmed agricultural soils at multiple depth intervals, using polymer fingerprinting to apportion contamination sources among plastic mulch, treated wastewater irrigation, and organic amendment application. The study assessed impacts on soil microbial community structure using FTIR-confirmed microplastics extracted by zinc chloride density flotation.

2024 International Journal of Agriculture Extension and Social Development
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in soils with different agricultural practices: Importance of sources with internal origin and environmental fate

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were examined in soils representing four agricultural practice types in Chinese farmland to evaluate the influence of land use on plastic particle accumulation. Microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied by agricultural practice, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation water source as key drivers of farmland soil contamination.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 282 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial and temporal variance of microplastics in agricultural soils

This study reviewed how microplastic concentrations in agricultural soils vary by location and over time across multiple European field sites. The findings highlight that farming practices are direct sources of soil plastic contamination, and that long-term monitoring is needed to understand accumulation trends and their effects on soil health.

2023
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of microplastics in soil profiles and aggregates of farmland with different mulching years

Researchers found that microplastic abundance in farmland soil increased linearly with years of plastic film mulching (20.9-54.2 items/g over 3-23 years), with highest concentrations in the 0-10 cm surface layer, decreasing with depth, and greater abundance in larger soil aggregates, using a random forest model to predict distribution patterns.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Investigating microplastic dynamics in soils: Orientation for sampling strategies and sample pre‐procession

This study develops improved methods for sampling and detecting microplastics in soil, addressing a major gap in current research. Standardized sampling strategies are essential because microplastic distribution in soil is highly variable, making it easy to miss contamination with inconsistent methods. Better detection protocols will help scientists accurately measure how much microplastic is accumulating in agricultural and natural soils.

2020 Land Degradation and Development 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic appraisal of soil, water, ditch sediment and airborne dust: The case of agricultural systems

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across agricultural soils, water, airborne dust, and ditch sediments in farm settings with different management practices. They found 11 types of microplastics in soil, with the highest concentrations in fields using plastic mulch, and documented the spread of particles into nearby water bodies and air. The study reveals that both plastic mulch and compost application contribute to microplastic pollution in agricultural landscapes.

2022 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical transport of microplastic in agricultural soil in controlled irrigation plot experiments

Researchers conducted field plot experiments in agricultural soil and found that microplastics migrate vertically with irrigation water, with smaller particles (53–63 µm) penetrating up to 6 cm deep and larger particles remaining near the surface, indicating that water infiltration is a key driver of subsurface plastic transport.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence and frequency in soils under different land uses on a regional scale

A regional-scale survey measured microplastic occurrence in soils under different land uses (agricultural, urban, natural), finding that concentrations varied by land use type and that real-world field concentrations were often lower than those used in laboratory ecotoxicology studies.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 304 citations