Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Microbial Perspective: Regulatory Mechanisms of Interactions Between Microplastics and Dissolved Organic Matter on Greenhouse Gas Emissions in Aquatic Ecosystems

This is a raw data repository supporting a study on how microplastics interact with dissolved organic matter to influence greenhouse gas emissions in aquatic ecosystems from a microbial perspective. The full study examines the regulatory mechanisms behind these interactions, which matter because microplastics could be altering the carbon cycle in lakes and rivers by changing microbial community behavior.

2026 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics AmplifyGreenhouse Gas Emissions fromFreshwater Sediments through Synergistic Interactions

Researchers found that increasing microplastic chemodiversity — measured by polymer type number and chemical composition — amplified greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater sediments by up to 4.69-fold in aquatic microcosms, with synergistic interactions prevailing when three or more polymer types were combined. This amplification effect was further intensified under warming conditions and was mediated by shifts in microbial community composition and dissolved organic matter.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Polystyrene microplastics facilitate formation of refractory dissolved organic matter and reduce CO2 emissions

Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics altered the composition and function of microbial communities in aquatic environments, promoting the formation of refractory dissolved organic matter that resists further breakdown. This shift in organic matter composition also led to reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the water system. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may have unexpected effects on aquatic carbon cycling by changing how organic matter is processed by microbes.

2024 Environment International 11 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study of the Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Communities in Marine Sediments

This study investigated how the presence of microplastics in marine sediments affects microbial communities and, specifically, the methane cycle, finding that microplastics significantly altered microbial community structure and function. Since marine sediment microbes play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic contamination could have broader climate-relevant effects beyond direct toxicity.

2024 Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Increase the Risk of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Pollution in a Freshwater Lake by Affecting Microbial Function in Biogenic Element Cycling: A Metagenomic Study

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to examine how microplastics affect microbial community function in a freshwater lake, finding that microplastic contamination disrupts biogenic element cycling processes and increases the risk of greenhouse gas emissions and water quality degradation.

2024
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in sediment of freshwater systems

Researchers found that PET microplastics of different sizes significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in freshwater sediments, with smaller particles (5 micrometers) notably increasing methane emissions and altering nutrient cycling over 90 days.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Reshape the Fate of Aqueous Carbon by Inducing Dynamic Changes in Biodiversity and Chemodiversity

Researchers found that microplastics reshape aqueous carbon cycling by releasing chemical additives that inhibit autotrophic bacteria, promoting CO2 emissions, and stimulating microbial metabolic pathways that transform dissolved organic matter into more stable, less bioavailable forms.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Amplify Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Freshwater Sediments through Synergistic Interactions

A large-scale aquatic microcosm experiment with 1264 containers found that greater microplastic chemical diversity — more types of polymers together — significantly amplified greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater sediments, with warming temperature further compounding the effect.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and the microbial community in fertilized soil

Two particle sizes of microplastics were added to fertilized soil and their effects on dissolved organic carbon, greenhouse gas fluxes, and microbial communities were measured, finding reduced global warming potential due to decreased methane emissions but changes in bacterial and fungal community composition. The study reveals complex interactions between microplastics and soil carbon cycling processes.

2019 Environmental Pollution 529 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic diversity stimulates N2O emission during NO3−-N transformation by altering microbial interaction and electron consumption in eutrophic water

Researchers examined how mixtures of different microplastic types in eutrophic water bodies affect nitrous oxide emissions during nitrogen transformation. They found that greater microplastic diversity significantly increased N2O emissions by altering microbial community interactions and electron transfer processes. The study suggests that the combined presence of multiple microplastic types may amplify their environmental impact on greenhouse gas emissions from water systems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastics as drivers of carbon and nitrogen cycling alterations in aquatic ecosystems: A meta-analysis

This network meta-analysis found that microplastics enhance dissolved and total organic carbon in aquatic sediments, promote anaerobic processes, and stimulate greenhouse gas emissions including N2O and methane. In seawater sediments, microplastics significantly boosted denitrification gene abundance, while biodegradable microplastics showed stronger effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling than conventional plastics.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts and mechanism of biodegradable microplastics on lake sediment properties, bacterial dynamics, and greenhouse gasses emissions

Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics in lake sediments increased greenhouse gas emissions more than conventional polyethylene microplastics, altering sediment properties and microbial communities in ways that enhanced carbon dioxide and methane production.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 56 citations
Review Tier 2

Impacts of climatic stressors on dissolved organic matter leaching from microplastics and their effects on biogeochemical processes: A review

This review examines how microplastics release dissolved organic matter as they break down in the environment, and how climate change may accelerate this process. The chemicals leached from degrading plastics can disrupt microbial communities and natural nutrient cycles, potentially increasing greenhouse gas production and altering the ecosystems that ultimately support our food and water supplies.

2024 Water Research 22 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating whether aquatic microbes are inhibited by dissolved organic carbon formed during the photo-dissolution of microplastics

Researchers investigated whether dissolved organic carbon produced when sunlight degrades floating microplastics inhibits aquatic microbial growth, finding that while much of the carbon can fuel microbial activity, some photochemically produced compounds may have inhibitory effects.

2023
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on riverine greenhouse gas emissions: a view point

This viewpoint examines how microplastic accumulation in rivers may alter microbial communities and disrupt biogeochemical cycles, potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and nitrous oxide from riverine ecosystems, identifying this as a critical but underexplored consequence of freshwater microplastic pollution.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on sedimentary greenhouse gas emissions and underlying microbiome-mediated mechanisms: A comparison of sediments from distinct altitudes

Researchers compared how PVC and polylactic acid microplastics affect greenhouse gas emissions from river sediments at different altitudes along the Yellow River. The study found that both types of microplastics increased carbon dioxide emissions by promoting the growth of organic-matter-degrading microbes, while PVC specifically boosted nitrous oxide emissions by enriching denitrifying bacteria.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and their mechanisms in influencing methane oxidation: A physiological and ecological perspective

This review examines the physiological and ecological mechanisms by which microplastics influence methane oxidation processes in the environment, synthesising current understanding of how ubiquitous plastic contamination may disrupt microbial communities responsible for mitigating methane — a greenhouse gas 20-30 times more potent than CO2.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and its biogeochemical behaviors in aquatic environments: A review

This review examines how microplastics release dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM) as they break down in water, and how these released chemicals affect water ecosystems. MP-DOM can interact with other pollutants and alter carbon cycling in natural waters, with the type and amount varying based on plastic composition and weathering conditions. Understanding what microplastics release into water as they degrade is important because these dissolved chemicals may have their own toxic effects on aquatic life and water quality.

2024 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 84 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter: Generation, characterization, and environmental behaviors

This review examines how microplastics release dissolved organic matter as they break down in the environment, creating a previously overlooked source of carbon and chemical pollution. Researchers found that this microplastic-derived organic matter can interact with other pollutants, affect water quality, and influence microbial communities. The study highlights a lesser-known dimension of microplastic pollution that could have significant environmental consequences.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics: New substrates for heterotrophic activity contribute to altering organic matter cycles in aquatic ecosystems

This study demonstrated that heterotrophic bacteria colonizing microplastic surfaces in aquatic ecosystems have distinct metabolic capabilities and can process organic matter at rates different from planktonic bacteria. The findings suggest that the plastisphere — the microbial community on plastic surfaces — may alter organic matter cycling in aquatic environments as microplastic abundance grows.

2018 The Science of The Total Environment 193 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Regulates Soil Carbon Respiration via Microbial Ecophysiological Controls

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released by microplastics affects the way soil microbes process carbon. They found that compounds leaching from both new and aged microplastics stimulated soil carbon release, with aged microplastics having a larger effect by altering microbial community structure. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution may influence soil carbon cycling and potentially affect how effectively soils store carbon.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the potential impacts of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions in wastewater treatment

This review analyzed how microplastics in wastewater treatment plants affect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, focusing on mechanisms by which microplastics alter microbial communities and their metabolic processes. The plastisphere was identified as a key site for altered methane and nitrous oxide production, with implications for climate reporting from the water sector.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic accelerate the phosphorus-related metabolism of bacteria to promote the decomposition of methylphosphonate to methane

Researchers found that microplastics accelerate phosphorus-related metabolism in marine bacteria, promoting the decomposition of methylphosphonate to methane in oxygenated water and revealing a previously unknown mechanism linking plastic pollution to greenhouse gas production.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 30 citations
Article Tier 2

Reshaping the plastisphere upon deposition: Promote N2O production through affecting sediment microbial communities in aquaculture pond

This study examined how microplastics deposited in aquaculture pond sediments shape microbial biofilm communities (the plastisphere) and affect the broader sediment microbial community, including nitrogen-cycling bacteria involved in nitrous oxide production. Results showed that microplastics promoted N2O emissions by altering the sediment microbial structure.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations