Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on strength parameters of clayey, Sandy, silty soil: A comparative assessment

Researchers conducted a comparative study examining how three types of microplastics at different concentrations affect the strength properties of sandy, silty, and clayey soils over a 30-day period. They found that LDPE, HDPE, and PVC contamination at environmentally relevant levels altered key soil properties including moisture content, density, and shear strength. The study highlights that microplastic pollution could compromise soil structural integrity, with implications for construction and geotechnical engineering.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of PVC microplastics on soil chemical and microbiological parameters

Researchers found that PVC microplastics altered soil chemical properties and significantly affected microbial community composition and enzymatic activities in agricultural soil, with effects varying over different incubation periods in microcosm experiments.

2023 Environmental Research 42 citations
Article Tier 2

Photoaging process and mechanism of four commonly commercial microplastics

Researchers exposed four common commercial microplastic types to UV light to simulate photoaging on soil surfaces and studied changes in their properties and chemical leachates. The study found that PVC and polystyrene underwent more dramatic physical and chemical changes than polypropylene and polyethylene, with aging creating cracks that facilitated the release of dissolved organic matter and chemical additives. These findings suggest that aged microplastics may pose greater environmental risks to soil and groundwater than pristine ones due to increased leaching of complex organic compounds.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Polymer-specific transformation of microplastics under soil freeze–thaw versus UV aging: Multiscale insights into atrazine interaction mechanisms

Long-term soil incubation experiments showed that different polymer types transform distinctively under real soil conditions, with some plastics fragmenting rapidly while others persist with minimal change. Polymer-specific fate data are essential for accurate risk assessment and regulatory decisions about plastic use in agriculture.

2025 Environmental Pollution 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Aging of biodegradable microplastics and their effect on soil properties: Control from soil water

Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics made from PLA and PBAT break down in different soil types under varying water conditions. They found that while these plastics aged more in dry and alternating wet-dry conditions, flooded conditions caused bigger changes to soil chemistry, including increased dissolved organic carbon. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully alter soil properties, and the effects depend heavily on moisture conditions.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Long term influences of PVC microplastics on soil chemical and microbiological parameters

Researchers exposed agricultural soil to PVC microplastics over a long-term experiment and measured changes in soil chemistry and microbial communities. PVC addition altered soil pH, carbon and nitrogen cycling, and microbial diversity over time. Long-term PVC contamination in farmland soils can disrupt the biological processes that maintain soil fertility and plant health.

2023
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic aging on its detectability and physico-chemical properties in loess and sandy soil

This study compared fresh microplastics to aged particles collected from soil and found that weathering significantly changes their physical and chemical properties, including making them more mobile. Aged microplastics may behave very differently in the environment than the pristine particles typically used in laboratory studies.

2023 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic alteration in agricultural soils across Europe: Comparative study of MPs inside and outside soil aggregates over two years

Researchers tracked microplastic aging inside and outside soil aggregates in European agricultural soils over two years, comparing fields in multiple countries. Microplastics enclosed within aggregates showed less physicochemical aging than surface-exposed particles, suggesting that aggregate formation can temporarily protect plastics from degradation and prolong their persistence in soil.

2025
Article Tier 2

Effect of PVC microplastics on pesticide sorption behavior in soil: Key roles of particle size and aging

Researchers studied how PVC microplastics of different sizes and aging states affect pesticide behavior in agricultural soil. They found that smaller and aged microplastics significantly enhanced pesticide adsorption and made it harder to release back into the soil, primarily through hydrogen bonding mechanisms. The study highlights the need to account for microplastic contamination when assessing how pesticides move through and persist in agricultural soils.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Different Microplastics on Soil Evaporation Rates: A Comparative Analysis Across Chernozem, Umbrisol, and Luvisol

Researchers assessed the effects of high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene microplastics at 5% w/w concentration on evaporation rates, dry bulk density, and saturated water content across three soil types (Chernozem, Umbrisol, and Luvisol), finding that all three polymer types significantly altered soil physical properties in ways that varied by both polymer type and soil classification.

2024 Land 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential aging processes of microplastics in paddy soil under wet-dry alternation: Insights into chemical structure alteration and dissolved organic matter formation

Researchers investigated the aging of polyethylene, polypropylene, and polystyrene microplastics in paddy soil during seven wet-dry alternation cycles over 98 days and found that cycling conditions accelerated chemical degradation and altered dissolved organic matter (DOM) composition. PE aged most rapidly, and the DOM produced differed structurally from that generated under constant conditions.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
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

Ecotoxicological effects and detection features of polyvinyl chloride microplastics in soils: A review

Researchers reviewed what is known about PVC microplastics — tiny particles shed from polyvinyl chloride, one of the world's most widely used plastics — in soils, finding they can harm soil animals, plants, microbes, and nutrient cycles by leaching toxic chemical additives as they age. The review highlights that standardized detection methods are urgently needed, as current analysis approaches vary widely and make study comparisons difficult.

2023 Environmental Advances 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into photoaging behaviors and mechanisms of biodegradable and conventional microplastics in soil

Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics break down when exposed to light in soil environments. They found that biodegradable poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) aged faster than conventional polyethylene, with both types developing surface cracks and chemical changes over time. The study provides new insights into how different plastic types weather in soil, which affects their environmental persistence and potential toxicity.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanism of polyethylene and biodegradable microplastic aging effects on soil organic carbon fractions in different land-use types

Researchers compared how polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics at different stages of aging affect soil organic carbon fractions across various land-use types. The study found that both types of microplastics altered soil carbon dynamics, but the effects depended on the plastic type, its degree of aging, and the specific land-use context.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 40 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastic types and aging degrees on the transport behavior of marine oil spills

The transport behavior of microplastics through soil was found to vary significantly based on both the type of plastic polymer and the degree of aging (weathering), with aged particles generally showing different mobility than virgin ones. This means predictions of microplastic spread in soils must account for the weathering state of the particles.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on evaporation dynamics in porous media

Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics altered soil water evaporation rates and crack formation patterns in laboratory experiments, with effects varying by microplastic type, concentration, and soil texture, suggesting microplastics can disrupt soil water dynamics.

2022 Chemosphere 23 citations
Article Tier 2

The impact of microplastic weathering on interactions with the soil environment: a review

This review examines how weathering — exposure to UV light, moisture, and physical forces — changes the surface properties of microplastics and affects their interactions with soil. Weathered microplastics behave differently in the environment, potentially altering soil structure and the movement of water and nutrients.

2021 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical migration of microplastics in porous media: Multiple controlling factors under wet-dry cycling

Researchers studied how microplastics move vertically through sandy soil during cycles of wetting and drying, testing four common plastic types at various particle sizes. They found that smaller, more hydrophobic particles migrated deeper, and that frequent wet-dry cycles and the presence of dissolved organic matter accelerated downward movement. The findings suggest that microplastics in agricultural soils could potentially reach groundwater, posing risks to underground water quality.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 161 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of photoaging on structure and characteristics of biofilms on microplastic in soil: Biomass and microbial community

Scientists studied how sunlight aging changes the way bacteria colonize microplastics in soil, finding that weathered plastics attracted different bacterial communities than fresh plastics. Aged microplastics initially supported less biofilm growth but developed bacteria with greater ability to break down carbon compounds. This research helps explain how microplastics behave differently in real-world soil conditions versus lab settings, which matters for understanding how plastics affect agricultural land and the food grown in it.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 47 citations