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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Synergy of plastics and heavy metals weakened soil bacterial diversity by regulating microbial functions in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
ClearTrace metals coupled with plasticisers in microplastics strengthen the denitrification function of the soil microbiome in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau
Researchers measured microplastic pollution and associated phthalate ester plasticizers alongside trace metals in soils and river sediments on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. They found that these contaminants co-occurred and together influenced nitrogen cycling by strengthening denitrification-related microbial functions in the soil. The study reveals that even remote high-altitude environments are affected by microplastic contamination, which can alter fundamental soil biogeochemical processes.
Effects of polyethylene microplastics on soil microbial assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality in the remote mountain: Altitude matters
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities and ecosystem functions at different altitudes on Changbai Mountain in China. They found that the effects of microplastics varied significantly with altitude, enhancing bacterial diversity in some zones while disrupting key nutrient cycling processes in others. The study demonstrates that even remote mountain ecosystems are not immune to the ecological impacts of microplastic contamination.
Microplastics in heavy metal-contaminated soil drives bacterial community and metabolic changes
Researchers found that adding common microplastics to soil already contaminated with heavy metals significantly changed the bacterial communities and their metabolic processes. The microplastics increased competition among bacteria and shifted how they process energy, while Proteobacteria became more abundant as a stress response. This matters because when microplastics and heavy metals combine in agricultural soil, they may disrupt the microbial ecosystems that keep soil healthy for growing food.
An integrated evaluation of potentially toxic elements and microplastics in the highland soils of the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau
Researchers conducted the first integrated assessment of toxic elements and microplastics in grassland and farmland soils on the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. They found microplastic abundances ranging from 200 to over 3,600 particles per kilogram, with polypropylene dominating in grasslands and polyethylene in farmlands. The study reveals that even remote highland ecosystems on the Tibetan Plateau are not immune to microplastic contamination.
Characteristics of microplastics and their abundance impacts on microbial structure and function in agricultural soils of remote areas in west China
Researchers found that agricultural soils in remote western China using plastic mulch film had about four times more microplastics than fields without it, mostly tiny polyamide fragments under 50 micrometers. The microplastics changed the diversity and function of soil bacteria, including boosting organisms linked to organic matter breakdown. These microbial shifts could affect soil health and potentially increase health risks from crops grown in contaminated soil.
Effect of combined contaminants (i.e., microplastics and heavy metals) on the enzymatic activity of soils
Researchers assessed the combined and individual effects of heavy metals and microplastics on soil dehydrogenase enzyme activity across varying concentrations and exposure durations in controlled laboratory experiments. The combined presence of both pollutants caused greater reductions in enzymatic activity than either contaminant alone, demonstrating synergistic toxicity in soil microbial function.
Interactive effects of drought and microplastic particle size on soil bacterial community structure
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in soil become more harmful to the beneficial bacteria that keep soil healthy when combined with drought conditions. The smallest plastic particles caused the most damage, reducing the diversity of helpful soil bacteria by up to 29% during dry conditions. This matters because healthy soil bacteria are essential for growing nutritious food, and climate change is making both plastic pollution and droughts more common worldwide.
Bacterial life-history trade-offs under biodegradable and conventional microplastics in cinnamon and lime concretion black soils
Researchers studied how two biodegradable and four conventional microplastics affect bacterial life-history trade-offs in two distinct Chinese soil types, finding that soil type and plastic type together shaped bacterial diversity, community composition, and functional profiles.
Analysis of microplastics in soils on the high-altitude area of the Tibetan Plateau: Multiple environmental factors
Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in soils across different land use types on the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau, a remote and sparsely populated region. The study found that microplastic abundance varied with land use, altitude, meteorological conditions, and distance from roads, with greenhouse soils showing the highest concentrations, indicating that even remote high-altitude environments are not free from microplastic pollution.
Independent and combined effects of microplastics pollution and drought on soil bacterial community
Researchers studied how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics, combined with drought conditions, affect soil bacteria. Very small (20 micrometer) biodegradable PLA microplastics significantly reduced bacterial diversity by over 17%, while conventional polyethylene had less impact. The results suggest that the combined stress of microplastic pollution and drought could meaningfully alter soil microbial communities that are essential for healthy ecosystems and agriculture.
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.
Combined pollution and soil microbial effect of pesticides and microplastics in greenhouse soil of suburban Tianjin, Northern China
Researchers surveyed greenhouse soils in suburban Tianjin, China, to examine how pesticides and microplastics accumulate together from plastic mulch films. They found that both contaminants were widespread, with higher microplastic levels in soils that had been under greenhouse cultivation longer. The study reveals that these combined pollutants can alter soil microbial communities, raising concerns about long-term soil quality and food safety.
Characterizing Microplastic Pollution and Microbial Community Status in Rice Paddy Soils Across Varied Environmental Settings in Songjiang, Shanghai: An Analysis of Morpho-Chemical Characteristics
Researchers characterized microplastic pollution and associated microbial communities in rice paddy soils, finding widespread microplastic contamination that correlated with shifts in soil bacterial diversity. Plastic-associated microbial communities differed from bulk soil communities, suggesting microplastics create distinct microbial niches in agricultural environments.
Toxicological complexity of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems
This review summarizes how microplastics interact with other pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides in soil, creating combined toxic effects that threaten ecosystems and agriculture. The paper highlights that microplastics can change soil structure and disrupt the communities of microorganisms that keep soil healthy, with ripple effects on crop yields and food security.
The “neighbor avoidance effect” of microplastics on bacterial and fungal diversity and communities in different soil horizons
Researchers analyzed microbial communities on microplastic surfaces and in surrounding soil from agricultural fields in Beijing, China. They found that microplastics reduced bacterial and fungal diversity on their surfaces compared to nearby soil, while selectively enriching microbes involved in plastic biodegradation and increasing the relative abundance of pathways related to disease.
Diagnostic strategy for the combined effects of microplastics and potentially toxic elements on microbial communities in catchment scale
Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and potentially toxic elements on microbial communities in soils and river sediments from a headwater catchment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, finding significant accumulation of both fragment-shaped microplastics and copper as dominant contaminants. Their diagnostic strategy revealed that microplastics and potentially toxic elements significantly co-affect microbial community composition, with fiber-shaped microplastics preferentially transported into river systems while fragment-shaped particles dominated in soils.
Impact of microplastic concentration on soil nematode communities on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau: Evidence from a field-based microcosms experiment
Researchers conducted a one-year field experiment on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau to study how different concentrations of microplastics affect soil nematode communities. They found that nematode abundance and diversity showed a hump-shaped response, peaking at low microplastic concentrations but declining at higher levels, with the lowest biomass observed at the highest treatment. The study suggests that microplastics directly influence soil fauna communities, particularly fungivore and omnivorous nematodes, with implications for understanding ecological impacts on soil ecosystems.
Occurrence characteristics and ecological impact of agricultural soil microplastics in the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau, China
Researchers investigated microplastic pollution in agricultural soils on the Qinghai Tibetan Plateau in China, a remote area with low population density. They found microplastic concentrations ranging from about 17 to 950 particles per kilogram, with polyethylene terephthalate, polypropylene, and polyethylene being the most common types. The study suggests that facility-based agriculture significantly increases soil microplastic levels, and nearly half of the areas assessed showed relatively high polymer risk.
New insights into the distribution, potential source and risk of microplastics in Qinghai-Tibet Plateau
Researchers surveyed microplastic pollution across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's most remote regions, and found contamination in water, sediment, and soil samples. Water samples had the highest concentrations, averaging over 7,000 particles per cubic meter. The presence of microplastics even in this isolated high-altitude environment shows how far plastic pollution has spread globally.
Effects of nano- or microplastic exposure combined with arsenic on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities
Researchers studied the combined and individual effects of arsenic and micro- or nanoplastics on soil bacterial, fungal, and protistan communities. The study found that combined pollution distinctly altered the composition of these microbial communities, with protistan communities being particularly sensitive, indicating that the co-occurrence of plastics and heavy metals in soil may have compounding ecological effects.
Microplastic pollution in agricultural soils: Microbial interactions, food-chain risks, and management strategies with special reference to high-altitude agroecosystems
This review synthesizes evidence that microplastics in agricultural soils disrupt microbial diversity, alter nutrient cycling, and accumulate in plants — with high-altitude farming systems particularly understudied despite their ecological sensitivity. The authors flag that microplastics act as carriers for chemical pollutants and pathogens, compounding food safety risks in mountain agroecosystems.
Combined contamination of microplastic and antibiotic alters the composition of microbial community and metabolism in wheat and maize rhizosphere soil
A study found that when soil is contaminated with both microplastics and antibiotics together, the damage to wheat and maize seedlings is worse than from either contaminant alone, with increased root oxidative stress and disrupted soil bacterial communities. This combined contamination, common in agricultural soils treated with plastic mulch and livestock manure, could affect crop health and food quality.
Beneficial microbial consortia effectively alleviated plant stress caused by the synergistic toxicity of microplastics and cadmium
Researchers found that combined pollution from microplastics (PVC) and the heavy metal cadmium creates a toxic effect in soil that is worse than either pollutant alone. However, applying beneficial bacteria to contaminated soil helped plants grow better and restored soil nutrients. These findings suggest that probiotic-like bacteria could help repair farmland damaged by microplastic and heavy metal pollution.
Synergistic functional activity of a landfill microbial consortium in a microplastic-enriched environment
Scientists studied soil bacteria from a decades-old landfill to understand how microbes adapt to high concentrations of polyethylene and PET microplastics. They found that multiple bacterial species work together to break down these plastics, with different roles for bacteria floating freely versus those attached to plastic surfaces. While biodegradation of microplastics is possible, it is slow, and understanding these natural processes could eventually help with cleanup efforts.