Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on soil microbial community and microbial degradation of microplastics in soil: A review

This review examines how microplastics affect soil microbial communities and the potential for microbes to degrade plastic particles in soil environments. The study highlights that soil acts as a major sink for microplastics from sources like sewage sludge, agricultural mulch, and wastewater, and identifies key knowledge gaps including the need for better monitoring of microplastic sources and exploration of microbial biodegradation potential.

2023 Environmental Engineering Research 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial remediation of microplastic-contaminated soil, focusing on mechanisms, benefits, and research gaps

This systematic review examines microbial bioremediation of microplastic-contaminated soils, covering the sources and distribution of soil microplastics, their physicochemical interactions with soil microbiomes, and the mechanisms by which soil-dwelling bacteria and fungi degrade plastic polymers.

2025 npj Emerging Contaminants 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradation of Microplastics in Soil

This review examines how soil microorganisms, plants, and soil animals contribute to the biodegradation of microplastics, summarizing current methods and their influencing factors as more sustainable alternatives to conventional plastic waste management.

2022 Advances in transdisciplinary engineering 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Genomic and proteomic analysis of Bacillus subtilis as microplastic bioremediation agents

Researchers analyzed the genes and proteins of Bacillus subtilis bacteria to understand how this common soil microbe might be used to break down microplastics biologically. The genomic and proteomic analysis identified enzymes that could potentially degrade plastic polymers, advancing efforts to develop microbial bioremediation of plastic pollution.

2023 AIP conference proceedings 1 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 accumulation in soils: Unlocking the mechanism and biodegradation pathway

Researchers reviewed how microplastics accumulate in soil and break down biologically, finding that certain microorganisms can form biofilms on plastic surfaces and use enzymes to slowly degrade the polymers — though conditions like pH, temperature, and moisture must be optimized and new plastic-degrading microbes need to be identified before this approach can be widely applied.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 10 citations
Review Tier 2

[Interaction between microplastics and microorganisms in soil environment: a review].

This review examines how microplastics alter soil microbial community structure and diversity, and how microorganisms in turn colonize plastic surfaces and degrade them through extracellular enzymes — with degradation efficiency dependent on polymer properties and environmental conditions.

2023 PubMed 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential strategies for bioremediation of microplastic contaminated soil

Researchers reviewed emerging bioremediation strategies for removing microplastics from contaminated soil, highlighting the roles of plants, root-zone microbes, soil animals like earthworms, and specialized bacteria and fungi that can use enzymes to break down plastic polymers into harmless compounds. While genetic engineering of microbes shows promise for accelerating degradation, the review notes that real-world application at scale still requires significant research and development.

2024 Environmental Chemistry and Ecotoxicology 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Evidence on Potential Bioremediation of Microplastics from Soil Environment around the World

This review examines evidence for bioremediation of microplastics from soil environments, evaluating how plants, bacteria, fungi, and other organisms can help remove or break down plastic particles in terrestrial ecosystems. While soil is a primary sink for microplastics, biological approaches to soil cleanup remain underdeveloped compared to aquatic bioremediation research.

2023 ACS symposium series 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioremediation of Microplastic Wastes in Soil

This chapter reviews bioremediation strategies for removing microplastics from soil, focusing on microbial and biological approaches to degrading plastic particles smaller than 5 mm. The authors discuss mechanisms of microbial plastic degradation and the promise of bioremediation as a sustainable soil remediation tool.

2024
Article Tier 2

Systematical review of interactions between microplastics and microorganisms in the soil environment

This review explores interactions between microplastics and microorganisms in soil environments. Researchers found that microplastics pose a threat to the survival and reproduction of soil microbiota, but that soil microorganisms also show potential for degrading and mineralizing microplastic particles, suggesting possible biological pathways for microplastic remediation in terrestrial ecosystems.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 319 citations
Review Tier 2

The plastic and microplastic waste menace and bacterial biodegradation for sustainable environmental clean-up a review

This review examined bacterial biodegradation of plastic and microplastic waste, covering key microbial species, enzymatic mechanisms, and biotechnological approaches being developed for sustainable environmental cleanup of plastic pollution.

2023 Environmental Research 42 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastics on soil ecosystems: A review

This review examines how microplastics accumulate in soil from sources like sewage sludge, agricultural plastic mulch, and wastewater, and how they affect soil ecosystems. Evidence indicates that microplastics alter soil physical and chemical properties, disrupt microbial communities and enzyme activity, and can harm plant growth and soil organisms. The authors highlight that soil microplastic pollution has received far less research attention compared to aquatic environments, despite its potential consequences for agriculture and food safety.

2024 International Journal of Research in Agronomy 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Interaction effects and mechanisms of microorganisms and microplastics in soil environment

This review examines how microplastics and soil microorganisms interact: microplastics disrupt soil structure, reduce water retention, and impede plant root growth, while certain bacteria and fungi can colonize and partially degrade plastic particles through a multi-step process involving colonization, fragmentation, assimilation, and mineralization. Different polymer types (PE, PP, PS, PVC, PET) attract different microbial communities, and factors like temperature, moisture, and plastic additives affect degradation rates. Understanding these interactions is key to assessing long-term soil health impacts and developing microbial strategies to reduce plastic accumulation in agricultural soils.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

What Do We Know About the Effects of Microplastics on Soil?

This review examines the effects of microplastics on soil ecosystems, covering how mulching, wastewater irrigation, sludge application, and atmospheric deposition introduce microplastics to soil, where they alter physicochemical properties, affect microbial communities, and carry co-pollutants.

2023 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Allies in Plastic Degradation: Specific bacterial genera as universal plastic-degraders in various environments

Researchers identified specific bacterial genera capable of degrading multiple types of plastic across different environments including landfill soil, sewage sludge, and river water. They found that certain bacteria, such as Pseudomonas and Bacillus species, consistently appeared as effective plastic degraders regardless of the environment. The study suggests that these universal plastic-degrading bacteria could be valuable candidates for developing bioremediation strategies to address plastic pollution.

2024 Chemosphere 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Biochar and Microbes in Remediation of Microplastics in Soil

This review examines how biochar and soil microbes can be combined to remediate microplastic-contaminated soils, synthesizing evidence for biochar's adsorption capacity and microbial degradation pathways that reduce microplastic persistence and toxicity.

2025 Journal of Innovative Solutions for Eco-Environmental Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Micro Plastic Pollution in Soil Environment: A Comprehensive Review

This comprehensive review covers sources, distribution, degradation pathways, and ecological effects of microplastics in soil environments, highlighting threats to soil fauna, microbiota, and plant growth.

2024 Journal of Scientific Research and Reports 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Bioremediation of Soil Microplastics: Categories and Mechanisms

This review examines biological approaches to breaking down microplastics in soil, including the use of bacteria, fungi, and enzymes. Researchers found that certain microorganisms can partially degrade various plastic polymers, though the process is slow and influenced by plastic type, environmental conditions, and microbial community composition.

2023 ACS symposium series 9 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Unravelling the ecological ramifications of biodegradable microplastics in soil environment: A systematic review

Researchers reviewed 85 studies on biodegradable microplastics in soil, finding that when biodegradable plastics fail to fully break down they can disrupt soil structure, nutrient cycling, and microbial life in ways that depend heavily on concentration and plastic type. The review highlights that "biodegradable" plastics are not a simple fix for microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.

2025 Emerging contaminants 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Isolation, Screening and Characterization of Plastic-Degrading Bacteria From Soil for PWM

Scientists isolated bacteria from soil near garbage sites and identified strains capable of degrading plastic materials, with scanning electron microscopy revealing physical damage — holes and cracks — to plastic surfaces after bacterial exposure within 30 days. The study contributes to the search for soil microbes that could be harnessed for biological plastic waste management. Biodegradation by indigenous soil bacteria could offer a more environmentally friendly alternative to landfilling or incineration of plastic waste.

2026 Current World Environment
Article Tier 2

Microplastic effects on soil organic matter dynamics and bacterial communities under contrasting soil environments

Researchers compared microplastic effects on soil organic matter dynamics and bacterial communities across contrasting soil environments, finding that the type of microplastic polymer and soil conditions together determine whether microbial activity and carbon cycling are stimulated or suppressed.

2024
Article Tier 2

Harnessing Microorganisms for Microplastic Degradation: A Sustainable Approach to Mitigating Environmental Pollution

This review surveys microorganisms—bacteria, fungi, and other taxa—capable of degrading microplastics, examining the enzymes, metabolic pathways, and environmental conditions involved, and assessing the practical potential of harnessing these organisms for bioremediation of plastic pollution.

2025 NIPES Journal of Science and Technology Research
Article Tier 2

The Role of Soil Microorganisms in Microplastic Biodegradation: Mechanisms, Carbon Preferences, and Ecological Impacts

This review examines how soil microorganisms interact with microplastics and attempt to biodegrade them, finding that despite plastics being carbon-based, their unique chemical structures prevent microbes from using them the same way they use natural organic matter. Soil carbon availability affects which microbes preferentially colonize and partially break down plastic particles, but full assimilation remains limited. Understanding microbial degradation pathways is important for assessing how long microplastics persist in soils and for developing bioremediation strategies.

2026 Environmental Microbiology Reports