Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the environmental behaviors of the herbicide atrazine in soil: Dissipation, adsorption, and bioconcentration

Researchers examined how the presence of microplastics in soil affects the behavior of the herbicide atrazine, including how quickly it breaks down and how much is absorbed by plants. They found that microplastics reduced the herbicide's half-life in soil, increased its adsorption to soil particles, and significantly boosted its uptake into plant tissues. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could change how pesticides behave, potentially increasing crop contamination.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

How does soil contamination by microplastics interferes the sorption and desorption processes of three herbicides?

Researchers tested how varying proportions of polyethylene microplastics (0-100% by weight) affected the sorption and desorption of three herbicides (hexazinone, diuron, S-metolachlor) in soil. Microplastic presence significantly altered sorption behavior for S-metolachlor, with effects depending on microplastic concentration and herbicide chemical structure.

2025 Chemosphere 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastic addition on glyphosate decay and soil microbial activities in Chinese loess soil

Adding polyethylene microplastics to soil influenced the degradation of the herbicide glyphosate and altered microbial activity, with effects depending on the concentration of both microplastics and glyphosate. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could affect how long pesticides persist and how soil microbes function.

2018 Environmental Pollution 222 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Plastic Residues on Soil Properties and Crop Productivity: A Comprehensive Research Study

This agricultural field study assessed how plastic residues at varying contamination levels affect soil physical, chemical, and biological properties and crop productivity, finding that higher microplastic concentrations disrupted soil structure, reduced microbial activity, and lowered plant growth.

2025 Futuristic Biotechnology
Article Tier 2

Simazine degradation in agroecosystems: Will it be affected by the type and amount of microplastic pollution?

Researchers investigated for the first time how the type and amount of microplastic pollution affects simazine herbicide degradation in agroecosystems, exploring the poorly understood synergistic interactions between plastic and pesticide contaminants in soil.

2022 Land Degradation and Development 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Will the Chemical Contaminants in Agricultural Soil Affect the Ecotoxicity of Microplastics?

This viewpoint examines whether pre-existing chemical contaminants in agricultural soil can alter the ecotoxicity of microplastics, arguing that soil chemistry and co-contaminants must be considered when assessing microplastic hazards in farmland environments.

2021 ACS Agricultural Science & Technology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic pollution on agricultural soil and crops based on a global meta‐analysis

This meta-analysis examined data from studies worldwide to assess how microplastic pollution affects agricultural soil and crops. Researchers found that microplastics can alter soil properties including enzyme activity and nutrient availability, with effects varying by plastic type, concentration, and size. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in farmland may affect both soil health and crop growth in ways that depend heavily on local conditions.

2023 Land Degradation and Development 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Change Soil Properties and Affect Plant Performance

Researchers tested six different types of microplastics in soil and found that they altered key soil properties including water-holding capacity, bulk density, and microbial activity. These changes in soil structure had cascading effects on plant growth, with some microplastic types reducing above-ground biomass. The study demonstrates that microplastics can fundamentally change how soil functions, with consequences for plant health and ecosystem stability.

2019 Environmental Science & Technology 1910 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Contamination in Agricultural Soils: Impacts on soil properties and plant performance

This review synthesized research on microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, examining how MPs affect soil physical properties, chemistry, and plant growth performance. It identified key knowledge gaps around MP accumulation rates, long-term soil effects, and impacts on food crop yields.

2025 University of Southern Queensland research data collection
Article Tier 2

Aged polyethylene microplastics modulate herbicide and antibiotic bioavailability and plant responses: A case study with glyphosate and tetracycline

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles commonly found in farm soil can stick to plant roots and change how plants absorb harmful chemicals like pesticides and antibiotics. The plastic pieces made plants more stressed and damaged, reducing important nutrients like chlorophyll by 30%. This matters because it could affect the safety and quality of the food we eat, since these plastic particles are becoming more common in agricultural areas where our crops are grown.

2026 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety
Article Tier 2

The effects of microplastics on crop variation depend on polymer types and their interactions with soil nutrient availability and weed competition

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics interact with soil nutrient availability and weed competition to affect crop growth. The study found that the effects of microplastics on plant performance depend on the polymer type and are modulated by fertilization levels and competition from weeds, suggesting that real-world agricultural impacts of microplastic pollution may be more complex than laboratory studies indicate.

2024 Plant Biology 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into the effect of microplastics on the adsorption and degradation behavior of thiamethoxam in agricultural soils

Researchers found that microplastics in agricultural soil alter both the adsorption and degradation behavior of the pesticide thiamethoxam, with different plastic types showing varying effects on how the pesticide binds to soil and breaks down over time.

2023 Chemosphere 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Tiny toxins, big problems: the hidden threat of microplastic in agroecosystems

This review examines the impacts of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils, covering sources from plastic mulch and irrigation, effects on soil structure, water retention, microbial diversity, and nutrient cycling, and consequences for crop health and food safety.

2025 Plant Science Today
Article Tier 2

How Do Microplastics Affect Physical Properties of Silt Loam Soil under Wetting–Drying Cycles?

Researchers investigated how microplastics of different sizes and types affect the physical properties of silt loam soil under repeated wetting and drying cycles. The study found that microplastics altered soil water retention and structural stability during these cycles, with effects varying based on particle size and polymer type, indicating that microplastic contamination could influence agricultural soil behavior.

2023 Agronomy 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics used in agronomic practices on agricultural soil properties and plant functions: Potential contribution to the circular economy of rural areas

Researchers measured the effects of microplastics used in common agricultural practices — including mulch film residues and irrigation-delivered particles — on soil physical, chemical, and biological properties. Microplastic presence altered soil aggregation, water retention, and microbial community composition, with effects depending on plastic concentration, polymer type, and soil texture.

2024 Waste Management & Research The Journal for a Sustainable Circular Economy 5 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

Assessing Microplastic Contamination Effects on Soil Microbial Communities in Agricultural Land

This study sampled agricultural soils with varying degrees of microplastic contamination to assess effects on microbial diversity, abundance, and enzymatic activity, finding that higher microplastic concentrations reduced microbial diversity and suppressed nutrient-cycling enzyme activity.

2025 ACADEMIA Biota Nexus Journal
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Agricultural Soils: Sources, Fate, and Interactions with Other Contaminants

This review examines how microplastics enter farmland through irrigation, fertilizers, and plastic mulch, and how long-term farming practices affect their spread and aging in soil. The paper highlights that microplastics can either increase or decrease the toxicity of co-existing pollutants like pesticides and heavy metals depending on how strongly each contaminant binds to soil versus plastic particles.

2025 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in agroecosystems: A review of effects on soil biota and key soil functions

This review examines how microplastic and nanoplastic contamination in agricultural soils affects soil organisms and ecological functions. Researchers found that plastics enter farmland through multiple pathways including plastic mulch, sewage sludge, and irrigation water, and once present they alter soil properties and exhibit toxic behavior toward soil biota. The study identifies significant knowledge gaps about the long-term impacts of microplastic accumulation on agricultural productivity and food safety.

2022 Journal of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Have Widely Varying Effects on Soil

Researchers found that microplastic concentrations as low as 0.4% alter soil drainage, with potential downstream consequences for crop growth and plant productivity.

2025 Eos
Article Tier 2

Microplastics accumulation in agricultural soil: Evidence for the presence, potential effects, extraction, and current bioremediation approaches

This review examines the accumulation of microplastics in agricultural soils from sources like plastic mulching and irrigation, discussing their effects on soil properties and crop growth, along with current bioremediation approaches for removing soil microplastics.

2022 Journal of Applied Biology & Biotechnology 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Nano- and Microplastic Contamination on Soil Organisms and Soil–Plant Systems

Nano- and microplastic contamination was found to negatively affect soil organic matter dynamics and the activity of soil organisms. The research adds to growing evidence that plastic particles impair the biological processes that maintain soil health and fertility.

2025 Microplastics 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption behavior and mechanism of different types of (aged) microplastics for napropamide in soils

Researchers studied how different types of microplastics, both conventional and biodegradable, affect the soil absorption of the herbicide napropamide. They found that aged microplastics had significantly different adsorption properties than new ones, and that the presence of microplastics generally altered how the herbicide behaved in soil. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution may change how agricultural chemicals move through and persist in farmland.

2024 Chemosphere 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Agricultural films derived microplastics intensify acetochlor toxicity on soil health

Researchers examined whether microplastics from agricultural plastic films worsen the toxic effects of the herbicide acetochlor on soil health. They found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable PBAT microplastics combined with the herbicide caused soil acidification, depleted organic carbon, and disrupted microbial communities more severely than either contaminant alone. The study suggests that microplastics from farming materials may amplify the harmful effects of commonly used agricultural chemicals on soil ecosystems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations