Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable microplastics on arsenic migration and transformation in paddy soils: a comparative analysis with conventional microplastics

This study compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect the movement and chemical transformation of arsenic in rice paddy soils. Researchers found that both types of microplastics influenced arsenic behavior, but biodegradable plastics had distinct effects on soil chemistry, challenging the assumption that biodegradable alternatives are always safer for agricultural environments.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

The role of microplastics in altering arsenic fractionation and microbial community structures in arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments

The addition of microplastics to arsenic-contaminated riverine sediments altered arsenic fractionation and shifted microbial community structures, with biodegradable plastics producing different effects compared to conventional polymers. The study demonstrates that microplastics can modify the environmental behavior of co-existing toxic metals in sediment ecosystems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Water-dependent effects of biodegradable microplastics on arsenic fractionation in soil: Insights from enzyme degradation and synchrotron-based X-ray analysis

This study examined water-dependent effects of biodegradable microplastics on arsenic fractionation in soil, finding that moisture regime significantly modifies how biodegradable plastic additions alter arsenic mobility and bioavailability.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanistic insight into interactive effect of microplastics and arsenic on growth of rice (Oryza sativa L.) and soil health indicators

Researchers tested how different types of microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddy soil, finding that biodegradable PLA microplastics actually increased arsenic uptake by rice plants by up to 39%. In contrast, conventional polyethylene microplastics slightly reduced arsenic absorption. This is an important finding because as agriculture shifts toward biodegradable plastics, they may inadvertently increase the transfer of toxic heavy metals from soil into food crops.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

The mechanism of polystyrene microplastics to affect arsenic volatilization in arsenic-contaminated paddy soils

Researchers investigated how polystyrene microplastics at different concentrations and sizes affect arsenic volatilization in contaminated paddy soils, finding that microplastic addition increased As volatilization by up to 21.8% in highly contaminated soils. The mechanism involved microplastic-driven shifts in bacterial community composition (particularly Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, and Bacteroidetes) and arsM gene expression, alongside changes in arsenic fractionation.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic mediated arsenic toxicity involves differential bioavailability of arsenic and modulated uptake in rice (Oryza sativa L.)

Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice paddies. They found that at low arsenic levels, microplastics actually reduced arsenic uptake by rice plants, but at high arsenic concentrations the combination produced synergistic toxic effects. The study reveals that the interaction between microplastics and heavy metals in agricultural soils is more complex than previously thought and depends heavily on contaminant concentration levels.

2025 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Photo-aged non-biodegradable and biodegradable mulching film microplastics alter the interfacial behaviors between agricultural soil and inorganic arsenic

Researchers found that both biodegradable PLA and non-biodegradable polyethylene mulching film microplastics alter arsenic transport in agricultural soil, with photo-aging changing their adsorption capacity and potentially affecting arsenic mobility and ecological risk.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of arsenic on the transport and attachment of microplastics in porous media

Researchers studied how arsenic, a common groundwater contaminant, affects the movement of microplastics through soil. They found that arsenic in water generally reduced how far microplastics traveled by promoting their attachment to soil particles, though this effect depended on arsenic concentration, water flow speed, and soil moisture levels. The findings help predict how microplastics and heavy metals may interact and spread together in underground water systems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different size polylactic acid on arsenic migration and rhizosphere microorganisms in soil-rice system

Researchers found that polylactic acid (PLA), a common biodegradable microplastic, increased the availability of toxic arsenic in rice paddies by changing soil chemistry and promoting bacteria that convert arsenic into more dangerous forms. Nano-sized PLA particles were particularly harmful, promoting arsenic uptake into rice plants, while larger particles actually blocked it. This study is important for food safety because it shows that even biodegradable plastics in agricultural soil can increase toxic contamination in rice, a staple food for billions of people.

2025 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-transport of arsenic and micro/nano-plastics in saturated soil

Column experiments found that 100 nm nanoplastic particles reduced arsenic transport in saturated sand by adsorbing arsenic ions, while 5 micron microplastics enhanced arsenic transport through electrostatic adsorption and pore plugging, demonstrating size-dependent and opposing effects of micro- and nanoplastics on co-contaminant mobility.

2023 Environmental Research 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of ageing process on the release of arsenic into soil pore water and related phytotoxicity assessed based on seed germination

Not relevant to microplastics — this paper investigates how arsenic contamination in soil changes over time and its toxic effects on plant seed germination.

2023 Soil Science Annual 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics influence on Hg methylation in diverse paddy soils

Researchers found that polyvinyl chloride microplastics (PVC-MPs) decreased bioavailable methylmercury concentrations in both red and alkaline paddy soils through alterations to dissolved organic matter composition, competitive adsorption effects, and influences on microbial communities involved in Hg methylation.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined toxicity of microplastics and arsenic to earthworm (Eisenia fetida): a comparison of polyethylene, polylactic acid, and polybutylene adipate-co-terephthalate

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics (PLA and PBAT) interact with arsenic in soil using earthworms as a model organism over 28 days. The study found that all microplastic types reduced arsenic bioaccumulation in earthworm tissues, with biodegradable plastics showing stronger reductions, though co-exposure still caused physiological and oxidative stress effects.

2026 Environmental Pollution
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics and arsenic on nutrients and microorganisms in rice rhizosphere soil

Researchers investigated how polystyrene and polytetrafluoroethylene microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in rice rhizosphere soil. The study found that microplastics reduced arsenic bioavailability and altered microbial communities, while both pollutants together inhibited key soil enzyme activities and reduced available nitrogen and phosphorus, suggesting combined microplastic-arsenic pollution can impair nutrient cycling and crop growth.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 406 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics change the safe production ability of arsenic-stressed rice (Oryza sativa L.) by regulating the antioxidant capacity, arsenic absorption, and distribution in rice

Researchers studied how polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics interact with arsenic contamination to affect rice growth and food safety. They found that the type of microplastic influenced how arsenic accumulated in different parts of the rice plant, with some combinations increasing arsenic levels in the edible grain. The findings raise concerns about microplastic contamination in agricultural soils altering how toxic metals are taken up by food crops.

2025 Plant Physiology and Biochemistry 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Exposure to microplastics lowers arsenic accumulation and alters gut bacterial communities of earthworm Metaphire californica

Researchers examined how microplastics interact with arsenic contamination in earthworms and their gut bacteria. They found that microplastics actually reduced arsenic accumulation in earthworm tissues by adsorbing the arsenic and lowering its bioavailability. The study suggests that while microplastics altered gut bacterial communities, their presence may lessen arsenic toxicity in soil organisms by changing how the metal moves through the food chain.

2019 Environmental Pollution 264 citations
Article Tier 2

Climate warming will alter the impact of microplastics on the bioavailability of arsenic in a subtropical estuary

Researchers incubated sediment from China's Min River estuary under warming conditions with PLA and PET microplastics at different doses, using DGT techniques to measure arsenic bioavailability. High-dose PLA MPs significantly enhanced arsenic bioavailability under warming while low-dose PET MPs inhibited it, demonstrating that climate warming and MP type interact to alter how arsenic mobilizes in estuarine sediments.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Regulatory mechanism of microplastics on arsenic bioavailability in a subtropical estuary, China

Researchers investigated the regulatory mechanisms by which microplastics influence arsenic bioavailability in sediments of the Min River estuary, a subtropical estuary in China, finding that microplastic pollution alters the dynamics of bioavailable arsenic through interactions with sediment geochemistry and microbial communities.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of Arsenic and Cadmium on Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Microplastics in Soil: Comparison Based on Batch Experiment

Batch experiments showed that both biodegradable PBSA and conventional LDPE microplastic mulch films adsorbed arsenic(V) and cadmium(II) from soil, with PBSA enhancing arsenic adsorption and LDPE increasing cadmium uptake, altering heavy metal mobility in agricultural soils.

2024 Soil Systems 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on bacterial community and PAHs natural attenuation in agricultural soils

Researchers found that biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics differently affect soil bacterial communities and the natural attenuation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural soils, with biodegradable plastics sometimes enhancing microbial activity while conventional plastics inhibited PAH degradation.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of earthworm Metaphire vulgaris gut microbiota to arsenic and nanoplastics contamination

Researchers found that co-exposure to nanoplastics and arsenic significantly altered earthworm gut microbiota composition, with nanoplastics influencing arsenic biotransformation in the gut, revealing previously unknown interactions between these two soil contaminants.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different microplastics on the physicochemical properties and microbial diversity of rice rhizosphere soil

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics, both fresh and aged, affect rice paddy soil properties and microbial communities. They found that aged microplastics had stronger effects than fresh ones, altering soil pH, nutrient availability, and the composition of root-associated bacteria. The study warns that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil health than conventional plastics, especially as they break down over time.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics on photosynthesis, antioxidant defense systems, and arsenic accumulation in maize (Zea mays L.) seedlings grown in arsenic-contaminated soils

This study tested how polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affect maize seedlings grown in arsenic-contaminated soil. Both types of microplastics changed how much arsenic the plants absorbed, with biodegradable microplastics increasing arsenic uptake in roots and shoots. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in farmland could alter how crops absorb toxic substances, potentially affecting food safety.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Physicochemical properties of environmental media can affect the adsorption of arsenic (As) by microplastics

Researchers found that microplastics in farmland soil can absorb arsenic, a known carcinogen, and that the amount absorbed depends on soil properties like organic matter content and nutrient levels. This is the first study to examine microplastic-arsenic interactions in natural soil conditions across 12 Chinese provinces. The findings are important for human health because microplastics carrying arsenic in agricultural soil could increase the transfer of this toxic element into food crops.

2023 Environmental Pollution 39 citations