Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics and biochar interactively affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco planting soil

Researchers examined how different types of microplastics from agricultural mulch interact with rice biochar to affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco-growing soil in China. They found that the combined effects of microplastics and biochar on soil emissions differed depending on the plastic polymer type, with some combinations reducing emissions while others did not. The study reveals the complex interplay between plastic residues and soil amendments in agricultural greenhouse gas dynamics.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar and Microplastics Affect Microbial Necromass Accumulation and CO2 and N2O Emissions from Soil

Researchers investigated how biochar and polyethylene microplastics interact in soil and found that both reduced CO2 and N2O greenhouse gas emissions, though through different mechanisms. Microplastics decreased emissions primarily by reducing dissolved organic matter and bacterial biomass, while biochar suppressed nitrogen-cycling genes. When combined, microplastics in biochar-treated soil unexpectedly increased microbial necromass carbon by disrupting soil aggregates, revealing complex interactions between these two soil amendments.

2023 ACS ES&T Engineering 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics, biochar, and earthworms on CO2 and N2O emissions and microbial functional genes in vegetable-growing soil

Researchers found that the interactions between microplastics, biochar, and earthworms had complex effects on soil greenhouse gas emissions, with biochar reducing CO2 emissions but the combination with microplastics and earthworms promoting nitrous oxide emissions in vegetable-growing soil.

2022 Environmental Research 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic and biochar interactively affect the global warming potential of soil greenhouse gas emissions

A 45-day laboratory incubation experiment tested polyethylene microplastics and two types of biochar applied to agricultural soil alone and in combination, measuring effects on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities. Co-application of microplastic and biochar reduced the global warming potential of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions compared to microplastic alone, suggesting biochar partially mitigates microplastic effects on soil carbon cycling.

2022 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of biochar and microplastics on microbial necromass accumulation and CO2 and N2O emission in a Calcaric Fluvisol

A 91-day soil experiment found that biochar reduced CO2 and N2O emissions, but the presence of microplastics partially counteracted these benefits, suggesting that plastic pollution can undermine soil carbon management strategies.

2023 Figshare
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

Response of Soil Greenhouse Gases Emissionsto Microplastics Accompanied with Earthwormsand Biochar from a Sandy-Loam Soil

Researchers used a controlled soil experiment to test how PVC microplastics, biochar, and earthworms individually and together affect greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soil, finding that microplastics increased CO2 release while suppressing methane and nitrous oxide. The complex interactions between these factors underscore that microplastic contamination in farmland can have unintended effects on soil carbon and climate.

2025 Polish Journal of Environmental Studies
Article Tier 2

Low-density polyethylene microplastics and biochar interactively affect greenhouse gas emissions and microbial community structure and function in paddy soil

Researchers examined how low-density polyethylene microplastics and biochar interact when added to paddy soil, affecting greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities. The study found that both amendments significantly increased methane emissions while suppressing carbon dioxide output, and their combined presence altered soil microbial community structure and functional gene abundances in ways that influence biogeochemical processes.

2023 Chemosphere 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable microplastics and straw addition on soil greenhouse gas emissions

Researchers tested how biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) affect greenhouse gas emissions from soil, both with and without added crop straw. They found that high concentrations of PLA microplastics significantly increased carbon dioxide emissions while decreasing nitrous oxide emissions, suggesting that even biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic mulch films can meaningfully alter soil chemistry and gas cycles.

2024 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Drought limits microplastic effects on soil greenhouse gas emissions by reducing microbial diversity

Researchers examined how microplastics and drought stress interact to affect greenhouse gas emissions from agricultural soils. They found that biodegradable microplastics increased nitrous oxide production compared to conventional polyethylene, but drought conditions consistently suppressed overall greenhouse gas output by reducing microbial diversity. The study highlights the complex interplay between plastic pollution and climate stress in shaping soil emissions and nutrient cycling.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics hamper aged biochar’s potential in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions

Polyethylene microplastics (1–5% by weight) significantly reduced the greenhouse gas-mitigating benefits of aged biochar in agricultural soil, decreasing soil aggregation and altering dissolved organic matter dynamics—raising concerns about microplastic interference with biochar-based carbon sequestration strategies.

2025 Carbon Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Every coin has two sides: Continuous and substantial reduction of ammonia volatilization under the coexistence of microplastics and biochar in an annual observation of rice-wheat rotation system

Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene, polyester, and polyacrylonitrile microplastics combined with straw-derived biochar on ammonia volatilization in rice-wheat rotation soils over one year, finding that biochar alone reduced cumulative ammonia volatilization by 5.5% and microplastics combined with biochar reduced it by 11.2-26.6% in the rice season, with mechanisms involving increased nitrate concentration and soil cation exchange capacity.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The Structural and Functional Responses of Rhizosphere Bacteria to Biodegradable Microplastics in the Presence of Biofertilizers

Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics interact with biofertilizers in crop soils and found that even though biodegradable plastics are designed as greener alternatives, they still significantly altered soil bacterial communities and disrupted carbon metabolism pathways. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics may affect soil health differently than conventional plastics, but are not necessarily harmless.

2024 Plants 4 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

Field response of N2O emissions, microbial communities, soil biochemical processes and winter barley growth to the addition of conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Researchers conducted a field study comparing the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics on soil greenhouse gas emissions, microbial communities, and winter barley growth. They found that both types of microplastics altered soil nitrogen cycling and microbial community composition, though biodegradable plastics showed distinct degradation patterns. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable agricultural plastics does not necessarily eliminate the environmental impacts of microplastic contamination in farmland soils.

2022 Agriculture Ecosystems & Environment 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable microplastics coexistence with biochars produced at low and high temperatures on bacterial community structure and phenanthrene degradation in soil

Researchers investigated how biodegradable microplastics interact with biochar in soil to affect bacterial communities and pollutant degradation. The study found that the coexistence of PBAT microplastics and biochar significantly altered soil microbial structure and influenced the degradation of phenanthrene, suggesting complex interactions between these increasingly common soil amendments.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of biochar and soil moisture on soil chemical properties and microbial community composition in microplastic‐contaminated agricultural soil

Biochar was applied to microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil under different moisture conditions, with results showing that biochar improved soil chemical properties and shifted microbial communities in ways that partially offset microplastic-induced degradation. The study suggests biochar as a practical soil amendment to mitigate microplastic impacts in farming systems.

2022 Soil Use and Management 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on microbial community and greenhouse gas emission in soil: A critical review

This review examines how microplastics in soil affect microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions, finding that microplastics can alter the abundance and activity of soil bacteria in ways that increase carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide release. The plastics change soil structure and chemistry, creating conditions that favor certain gas-producing microbes over others. These effects could worsen climate change while also disrupting soil fertility, with indirect consequences for food production.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fibers affect dynamics and intensity of CO2 and N2O fluxes from soil differently

Researchers added plastic microfibers to agricultural soil and found that while the fibers increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by improving soil aeration, they simultaneously decreased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by suppressing the denitrification process. These opposing effects on two major greenhouse gases mean microplastic soil contamination has complex and competing consequences for climate change.

2021 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 131 citations
Article Tier 2

How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar

This comprehensive review synthesizes 20 years of research on biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste that can improve soil health and reduce pollution. Biochar can reduce plant uptake of heavy metals by 17-39% and increase nutrient availability, making it potentially useful for cleaning up microplastic-contaminated soils. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because biochar could help mitigate the effects of soil pollutants that microplastics carry and concentrate.

2021 GCB Bioenergy 872 citations