Papers

20 results
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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

Nanoplastic alters soybean microbiome across rhizocompartments level and symbiosis via flavonoid-mediated pathways

Researchers applied polypropylene and polyethylene nanoplastics to soybean growing conditions and found that the particles altered soil chemistry, changed bacterial communities, and unexpectedly accelerated root nodule formation and nitrogen-fixing activity at lower doses. The effects varied by plastic type, with polyethylene nanoplastics having a stronger impact on soil enzyme activity. The study reveals that nanoplastic pollution can reshape the soil microbiome and influence how plants form beneficial partnerships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.

2025 Frontiers in Plant Science 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-micron microplastics affect nitrogen cycling by altering microbial abundance and activities in a soil-legume system

Researchers found that very small (sub-micron) polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in soil significantly altered nitrogen cycling by changing the abundance and activity of bacteria around soybean roots. While the microplastics did not affect plant growth directly, they increased nitrogen uptake and shifted the balance of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These hidden changes to soil chemistry could have long-term effects on agricultural productivity and the nutritional quality of crops.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic and soil nitrogen dynamics: Unraveling the links between functional genes, microbial communities, and transformation processes

Researchers conducted a six-month experiment to understand how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect nitrogen cycling, a process critical for soil fertility and plant nutrition. They found that while total nitrogen levels stayed stable, microplastics significantly altered the forms of nitrogen present by increasing ammonium and nitrate while decreasing dissolved organic nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastics reshape soil microbial communities and their nitrogen-processing activities, potentially disrupting the natural nutrient balance in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics alter soil microbial community assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations affect soil microbial communities and overall ecosystem function in a maize growing system. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics shifted microbial community composition, reduced beneficial bacteria involved in nutrient cycling, and impaired multiple soil ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can undermine the biological processes that support healthy crop growth.

2023 Environment International 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the microbial community structure of maize rhizosphere soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics from agricultural films affect the microbial communities in crop root zones (rhizosphere), finding shifts in bacterial diversity and function. Disrupting soil microbiomes through microplastic contamination could have downstream effects on soil fertility and crop health.

2021 中国生态农业学报 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics increase soil microbial network complexity and trigger diversity-driven community assembly

Researchers found that microplastics in soil increased bacterial network complexity and shifted microbial community assembly in a diversity-dependent manner, with high-density polyethylene causing more harm to plant growth than polystyrene or polylactic acid particles.

2023 Environmental Pollution 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyvinyl chloride and polybutylene adipate microplastics affect peanut and rhizobium symbiosis by interfering with multiple metabolic pathways

Researchers found that both PVC and biodegradable PBAT microplastics significantly disrupted the symbiotic relationship between peanut plants and nitrogen-fixing rhizobium bacteria. The microplastics reduced nodule formation by 33 to 100 percent and altered metabolic pathways involved in the symbiosis. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could impair the natural nitrogen fixation process that legume crops depend on for healthy growth.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics contamination in soil affects growth and root nodulation of fenugreek (Trigonella foenum‐graecum L.) and 16 s rRNA sequencing of rhizosphere soil

Researchers found that low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastic contamination in field soil negatively affected fenugreek plant growth, root nodulation, and rhizosphere microbial community structure, raising concerns about agricultural soil health.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Nanoplastic Contamination on Rhizosphere Microbiome and Plant Phenotype

This study examined how nanoplastic contamination affects the rhizosphere microbiome (soil bacteria around plant roots) and plant growth. Nanoplastic exposure altered soil microbial communities and reduced plant growth, suggesting these tiny plastic particles could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support food production.

2023
Article Tier 2

Macroplastics in soybean cultivation: Neutral on plant growth but disruptive to nitrogen-fixing microbiome

Researchers studied how larger plastic debris (over 2 centimeters) in agricultural soil affects soybean growth and the nitrogen cycle over a 71-day experiment. While the macroplastics did not visibly affect plant growth, they significantly disrupted nitrogen-fixing bacterial communities and altered soil nitrogen chemistry. The study suggests that even when crop yields appear unaffected, plastic contamination in farmland may be quietly undermining the beneficial soil microorganisms that plants depend on.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Soil-Dwelling Bacterial Community Changes Induced by Microplastic Ex posure Using Amplicon Sequencing

Researchers analyzed soil bacterial community composition after microplastic contamination, finding that different polymer types caused distinct shifts in microbial diversity and functional groups, with implications for soil nutrient cycling and agricultural productivity.

2025 Korean Science Education Society for the Gifted
Article Tier 2

Potential impacts of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on Bidens pilosa L. growth: Shifts in root-associated endophyte microbial communities

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics in soil contaminated with heavy metals significantly stunted plant growth, reducing root length by nearly 49% and increasing harmful reactive oxygen species in plant tissues. The microplastics also shifted the soil's microbial communities toward stress-resistant species, demonstrating how plastic pollution can disrupt the soil ecosystem that supports our food supply.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic particles alter wheat rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and function

Researchers found that microplastic particles altered wheat rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and function, with different polymer types inducing distinct shifts in bacterial diversity and nutrient cycling processes.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 139 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on common bean rhizosphere bacterial communities

Researchers studied how polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affect bacterial communities in the root zone of common beans. Both types of microplastics significantly altered the diversity and composition of rhizosphere bacteria, with biodegradable microplastics inducing more distinctive changes than conventional polyethylene at higher concentrations.

2022 Applied Soil Ecology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene microplastics reshape diazotrophic community composition and interactions in the plastisphere without affecting the rhizosphere of Capsicum annuum L.

Researchers examined how polypropylene microplastics reshape diazotrophic bacterial community composition in soil and alter nitrogen fixation, finding that PP microplastics disrupted the abundance of key nitrogen-fixing genera and reduced overall biological nitrogen fixation rates.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

LDPE microplastics affect soil microbial communities and nitrogen cycling

Researchers found that adding polyethylene microplastics to soil changed the bacterial communities and disrupted the nitrogen cycle, which is essential for soil fertility and plant growth. Microplastics increased the activity of certain nitrogen-processing genes while decreasing others, shifting the balance of nutrient cycling. These changes in soil function could ultimately affect crop health and the quality of food grown in microplastic-contaminated agricultural land.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 404 citations
Article Tier 2

Rhizospheric bacterial communities against microplastics (MPs): Novel ecological strategies based on the niche differentiation

Researchers studied how bacterial communities living around plant roots adapt when exposed to microplastics in soil. They found that rhizosphere bacteria developed distinct survival strategies depending on their ecological niche, with some species thriving while others declined in the presence of plastics. The study reveals that microplastics can reshape the microbial communities that plants depend on for nutrient uptake and disease resistance.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Isolates in Microplastic-Polluted Soil

Researchers isolated and characterized microbial communities from microplastic-polluted soil, identifying bacteria capable of colonizing plastic surfaces and assessing their potential roles in plastic degradation and soil nutrient cycling.

2024 African Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastic induces microbial nitrogen limitation further alters microbial nitrogentransformation: Insights from metagenomic analysis

Researchers studied how both conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect nitrogen cycling in soil over 120 days. They found that biodegradable microplastics significantly disrupted microbial nitrogen processes by acting as a carbon source that shifted bacterial communities toward nitrogen-fixing species. The findings suggest that even biodegradable plastics in soil can alter nutrient availability in ways that may affect soil fertility and plant growth.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations