Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the context of straw incorporation: A comparison with different types of soil

Researchers combined microplastic treatments with straw incorporation in different soil types and measured effects on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, finding that microplastics altered carbon cycling and in some soils increased CO2 and N2O emissions.

2021 Environmental Pollution 159 citations
Article Tier 2

[Advances in the Effects of Microplastics on Soil N2O Emissions and Nitrogen Transformation].

This review synthesizes current research on how microplastics affect soil nitrogen cycling, including N2O emissions, nitrogen transformation processes, functional enzyme activity, and nitrogen-related genes, highlighting inconsistent findings due to variability in microplastic properties, experimental conditions, and spatial-temporal scales.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Optimizing Microbial Composition in Soil Macroaggregates Enhances Nitrogen Supply Through Long-Term Straw Return

Despite its title referencing soil nitrogen and straw return, this paper studies how long-term agricultural straw incorporation affects microbial communities and nitrogen cycling within soil aggregates — not microplastic pollution. It examines bacterial and fungal biodiversity changes in soil over 13 years and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Agronomy 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in agricultural soil: Unveiling their role in shaping soil properties and driving greenhouse gas emissions

This review examines how microplastics in agricultural soils affect carbon and nitrogen cycles and alter greenhouse gas emissions. Researchers found that microplastics reduce soil water retention, decrease soil respiration, and increase emissions of carbon monoxide, methane, and nitrous oxide. The study reveals that microplastic contamination in farmland may have broader climate implications by disrupting the soil processes that regulate greenhouse gas fluxes.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 13 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastics on Soil N2O Emission and Nitrogen Transformations from Tropical Agricultural Soils].

Researchers conducted a controlled laboratory incubation experiment to examine the effects of polyethylene and polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate microplastics on N2O emissions and nitrogen transformations in tropical agricultural soils from a pepper-corn cropping system in Hainan Province, China.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Soil denitrification stimulated by macroplastics in maize cultivation

Researchers investigated how macroplastics (plastic debris >2 cm) affect soil nitrogen cycling in maize cultivation through a controlled experiment. Macroplastics stimulated soil denitrification, potentially increasing nitrous oxide emissions and reducing nitrogen availability for crops.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Disentangling microplastics effects on soil structure, microbial activity and greenhouse gas emissions

Researchers studied how microplastics affect soil structure, microbial activity, and greenhouse gas emissions, finding complex interactions that depend on microplastic type and concentration. The presence of microplastics in soils can alter the biological processes that regulate carbon storage and nutrient cycling.

2022 4 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effect of microplastics on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycle in farmland soil: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis of 102 studies found that microplastics in farmland soil increased soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and microbial biomass nitrogen, but also elevated CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions through enhanced carbon mineralization and denitrification. Microplastic biodegradability, size, concentration, and soil properties all drove these effects, suggesting agricultural microplastic pollution may worsen greenhouse gas emissions from farmland.

2025 Environmental Pollution 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Consequences of 33 Years of Plastic Film Mulching and Nitrogen Fertilization on Maize Growth and Soil Quality

Researchers found that after 33 years of continuous plastic film mulching, residual microplastics in soil persisted even after mulching stopped, though soil moisture and crop yields were still influenced by the legacy effects of long-term mulch use and nitrogen fertilization.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 41 citations
Article Tier 2

RETRACTED: Straw incorporation into microplastic-contaminated soil can reduce greenhouse gas emissions by enhancing soil enzyme activities and microbial community structure

This retracted study examined whether adding legume straw to microplastic-contaminated soil could reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The original findings suggested that straw incorporation into microplastic-affected soil enhanced certain soil enzyme activities and shifted microbial community structure in ways that lowered carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions. Note: this paper has been retracted.

2023 Journal of Environmental Management 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar Affects Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Urban Forestry Waste

Despite its title referencing greenhouse gas emissions and urban forestry waste, this paper studies how biochar amendments affect carbon and nitrogen cycling in decomposing urban organic waste — not microplastic pollution. It examines gas emissions from composting processes and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Preprints.org 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on soil greenhouse gas emissions in agroecosystems: Does it depend upon microplastic shape and soil type?

Researchers conducted a 56-day experiment to test how different shapes of microplastics affect greenhouse gas emissions across three soil types. They found that microplastic fibers increased both carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions by over 20% in iron-rich Ferralsols, but had no significant effect in the other two soil types. The study suggests that the impact of microplastics on soil greenhouse gases depends on both particle shape and the inherent buffering capacity of the soil.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable microplastics and straw addition on soil greenhouse gas emissions

Researchers tested how biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) affect greenhouse gas emissions from soil, both with and without added crop straw. They found that high concentrations of PLA microplastics significantly increased carbon dioxide emissions while decreasing nitrous oxide emissions, suggesting that even biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic mulch films can meaningfully alter soil chemistry and gas cycles.

2024 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen Cycling Dynamics: Investigating Volatilization and its Interplay with N2 Fixation

This paper reviews the nitrogen cycle in agricultural systems, focusing on how nitrogen moves between the atmosphere, soil, and water through biological and chemical processes. While not directly about microplastics, the research is relevant because microplastics in agricultural soil have been shown to alter nitrogen cycling by changing microbial communities and soil chemistry. Disruptions to nitrogen cycling can affect crop growth and contribute to water pollution through nutrient runoff.

2024 Journal for Research in Applied Sciences and Biotechnology 18 citations
Article Tier 2

[Advances in Research of the Effects and Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics on Soil Nitrogen Transformation].

This review examines the effects and mechanisms by which polyethylene microplastics — the dominant microplastic type in Chinese agricultural soils — influence elemental cycling processes in soil, summarizing findings on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics under microplastic exposure.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Agricultural Activities on Climate Change: A Review of Greenhouse Gas Emission Patterns in Field Crop Systems

This review examines greenhouse gas emissions from different crop farming systems and management practices. While not directly about microplastics, it is relevant because plastic mulch films widely used in agriculture contribute to both microplastic soil contamination and altered greenhouse gas emissions. The study highlights how agricultural practices affect both climate change and environmental pollution simultaneously.

2024 Plants 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic contamination on soil nitrogen and its bioavailability in soybean-maize rotation system

Researchers conducting a field experiment found that microplastics in agricultural soil disrupt the nitrogen cycle in a soybean-maize rotation system, inhibiting the natural nitrogen fixation that legumes provide and increasing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate — a form more prone to leaching away — raising concerns for long-term soil fertility.

2025 Soil and Tillage Research
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of microplastics, biochar, and earthworms on CO2 and N2O emissions and microbial functional genes in vegetable-growing soil

Researchers found that the interactions between microplastics, biochar, and earthworms had complex effects on soil greenhouse gas emissions, with biochar reducing CO2 emissions but the combination with microplastics and earthworms promoting nitrous oxide emissions in vegetable-growing soil.

2022 Environmental Research 90 citations
Article Tier 2

Plastic film mulching and microplastics impact soil nitrogen processes

This review examines how plastic film mulching practices introduce microplastic contamination into farmland soils and how accumulated microplastics alter soil nitrogen cycling processes — including nitrification, denitrification, and nitrogen fixation — with implications for crop growth and long-term agricultural sustainability.

2025 Frontiers of Agricultural Science and Engineering
Article Tier 2

Effects of nanopolystyrene addition on nitrogen fertilizer fate, gaseous loss of N from the soil, and soil microbial community composition

Researchers found that nanopolystyrene particles added to agricultural soil disrupted nitrogen cycling by altering microbial community composition and increasing gaseous nitrogen losses, potentially reducing fertilizer efficiency and contributing to greenhouse gas emissions in agroecosystems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 35 citations