Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Fertilization and Soil Microbial Community: A Review

This review examines how different types of chemical and organic fertilizers affect soil microbial community composition and function. Researchers found that organic fertilizers generally promote greater microbial diversity and activity compared to chemical fertilizers alone. While focused broadly on soil health, the findings are relevant to understanding how agricultural practices may influence the microbial degradation of environmental contaminants including microplastics.

2022 Applied Sciences 246 citations
Article Tier 2

Shifts in maize microbial communities and networks are correlated with the soil soil chemical property under different fertilization regimes

A corn field experiment compared how different fertilizers — chemical versus organic — shaped soil microbial communities and their interaction networks. Organic fertilizers altered both the diversity and connections between soil microbes, which has implications for soil health and agricultural sustainability.

2023 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil microorganisms and microbial functions in nutrients and carbon cycling – A review

This review examines how microplastics in soil alter the communities of bacteria and fungi that are essential for recycling nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. Microplastics can increase certain beneficial bacteria but decrease others that are important for soil fertility, and they also carry toxic chemicals that further disrupt microbial life. The authors note that most studies are short-term lab experiments, and long-term field studies are needed to understand real-world impacts.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 174 citations
Article Tier 2

Short‐term effects of mineral and combined mineral‐organic fertilization in soil microbial communities

A one-year fertilization trial in a Qinghai-Tibet Plateau greenhouse found that both mineral and combined mineral-organic fertilization increased bacterial richness and decreased fungal diversity compared to unfertilized soil, with available phosphorus as the primary driver of microbial community structure changes.

2023 Soil Use and Management 3 citations
Article Tier 2

How Organic Mulching Influences the Soil Bacterial Community Structure and Function in Urban Forests

Researchers tested how different types of organic mulch affect the bacterial communities in urban forest soils. They found that wood chips and compost changed the soil's chemical properties and shifted the types of bacteria present, particularly those involved in carbon and nitrogen cycling. The study suggests that organic mulching could be a practical tool for improving the microbial health of urban soils.

2024 Microorganisms 4 citations
Review Tier 2

Key factors and mechanisms of microplastics’ effects on soil nitrogen transformation: A review

This review systematically analyzed how microplastics affect nitrogen transformation processes in soil. Researchers found that the size, shape, concentration, and polymer type of microplastics all influence soil nitrogen cycling through changes to microbial communities, soil structure, and enzyme activity. The study identifies key knowledge gaps and recommends standardized research approaches to better predict how microplastic pollution will alter soil nutrient dynamics.

2024 Soil & Environmental Health 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on soil nutrient cycling: State of the knowledge.

This review systematically examined how micro- and nano-plastics affect soil nutrient cycling for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, finding that physical interference with soil structure, alteration of microbial communities, and chemical toxicity collectively disrupt mineralization, nitrification, and phosphorus availability in contaminated soils.

2023 Journal of environmental management
Article Tier 2

Effects of Organic Fertilizers with Different Maturities on Soil Improvement and Soybean Yield

This paper is not about microplastics; it is an agricultural experiment testing how organic fertilisers with different levels of composting maturity affect soybean yield, soil chemistry, and microbial diversity.

2023 Agronomy 9 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

Application of Organic Fertilizer Changes the Rhizosphere Microbial Communities of a Gramineous Grass on Qinghai–Tibet Plateau

Researchers examined how organic fertilizer application altered rhizosphere microbial communities in a gramineous grass, finding significant shifts in bacterial diversity and composition that may influence nutrient cycling and soil health in grassland ecosystems.

2022 Microorganisms 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Organic fertilizer facilitates the soil microplastic surface degradation and enriches the diversity of bacterial biofilm

Researchers found that organic fertilizer application facilitates surface degradation of microplastics in soil and enriches the diversity of bacterial biofilms on plastic surfaces, suggesting fertilizer use influences microplastic behavior and fate in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution on the soil and its consequences on the nitrogen cycle: a review

This review examines microplastic pollution impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, finding that microplastics alter soil structure, serve as novel microbial colonization surfaces, and affect the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Nitrogen Addition on Tiger Nut (Cyperus esculentus L.) Rhizosphere Microbial Diversity and Drive Factions of Rhizosphere Soil Multifunctionality in Sandy Farmland

Not relevant to microplastics — this study investigates how nitrogen fertilizer addition affects rhizosphere microbial diversity and soil multifunctionality in tiger nut crops grown in sandy farmland.

2024 Agronomy 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Selection of Suitable Organic Amendments to Balance Agricultural Economic Benefits and Carbon Sequestration

Researchers evaluated organic soil amendments for balancing agricultural productivity with soil health, finding that amendment type and application rate affect nutrient cycling, microbial activity, and the potential for microplastic introduction via compost or sludge.

2024 Plants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Links among Microbial Communities, Soil Properties and Functions: Are Fungi the Sole Players in Decomposition of Bio-Based and Biodegradable Plastic?

Researchers studied the decomposition of biodegradable PBSA plastic in soil with and without nitrogen fertilizer, finding that both bacteria and fungi participated in degradation and that fertilizer addition altered the microbial community structure during decomposition. The results show that soil nutrient status influences how quickly and through which microbial pathways biodegradable plastics are broken down.

2022 Polymers 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbes drive metabolism, community diversity, and interactions in response to microplastic-induced nutrient imbalance

Researchers investigated how conventional and biodegradable microplastics alter soil nutrient balances and the resulting effects on microbial metabolism, community diversity, and species interactions. The study found that microplastic-induced nutrient imbalances significantly influenced soil microbial processes, with different types of microplastics producing distinct effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 74 citations
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

Effects of microplastics on soil properties: Current knowledge and future perspectives

This review examines how microplastics affect soil health, including changes to soil structure, chemistry, and the microbial communities that keep soil fertile. The effects vary depending on the type, shape, and amount of plastic present, but in many cases microplastics alter nutrient availability and can even influence greenhouse gas emissions from soil. These changes could threaten crop productivity and food safety, since microplastics are now found in agricultural soils worldwide.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 837 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Soil: Uncovering Their Hidden Chemical Implications

This review of over 100 studies examines how microplastics affect soil health, finding they can disrupt nutrient cycling, alter soil acidity, change microbial communities, and act as carriers for heavy metals and pesticides. The effects vary widely depending on the type of plastic, particle shape, and environmental conditions, with some plastics depleting nitrogen and phosphorus while others temporarily boost nutrient retention. The findings underscore that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could have far-reaching consequences for food production and ecosystem health.

2025 Tropical Aquatic and Soil Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil under stress: The importance of soil life and how it is influenced by (micro)plastic pollution

This review examines how plastic pollution in soil disrupts soil organisms and microorganisms that regulate essential ecosystem functions, finding that plastic alters soil chemistry, physical structure, and microbial communities in ways that threaten primary production and carbon cycling.

2022 Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-Term Compost Amendment Changes Interactions and Specialization in the Soil Bacterial Community, Increasing the Presence of Beneficial N-Cycling Genes in the Soil

Researchers found that long-term compost amendment significantly altered soil bacterial community structure and functional specialization, increasing microbial network complexity and promoting functional guilds associated with organic matter decomposition compared to non-amended soils.

2022 Agronomy 20 citations
Article Tier 2

The future of fertilizers: Controlled-release, organic, and microbial alternatives

This review examined innovations in controlled-release, organic, and microbial fertilizers as sustainable alternatives to conventional fertilizers, finding that these approaches can improve nutrient use efficiency and reduce negative environmental outcomes like leaching and greenhouse gas emissions.

2025 International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter microbial structure and assembly processes in different soil types: Driving effects of environmental factors

Researchers investigated how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities across different soil types. They found that PLA increased dissolved organic carbon and pH while decreasing nitrogen availability, whereas polyethylene had contrasting effects depending on soil type. The study reveals that microplastic impacts on microbial community structure and assembly processes are soil-type-specific, with dissolved organic carbon driving changes in red soil and pH being the primary factor in fluvo-aquic soil.

2025 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects and mechanism of microplastics on organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural soil: A review

This review summarizes how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils affects carbon and nitrogen cycling by altering soil properties, microbial communities, and enzymatic activity. Evidence indicates that microplastics can change organic matter degradation rates and nutrient cycling processes, with implications for soil health and agricultural productivity.

2023 Soil Use and Management 39 citations