Papers

61,005 results
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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

Effects of microplastics on N2O production and reduction potential in crop soils of northern China

This study examined how polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics at concentrations of 0.5 to 3% affect nitrous oxide production and reduction potential in crop soils from northern China. Results showed that microplastic contamination altered N2O fluxes in vegetable soils by disrupting denitrification pathways, with implications for agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

2024 Chemosphere 5 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

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

Soil Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Nitrogen Dynamics: Effects of Maize Straw Incorporation Under Contrasting Nitrogen Fertilization Levels

Not relevant to microplastics — this study examines how maize straw incorporation into soils with different nitrogen fertilization histories affects greenhouse gas emissions and nitrogen cycling in agricultural fields.

2024 Agronomy 2 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

Polyethylene microplastics alter the microbial functional gene abundances and increase nitrous oxide emissions from paddy soils

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics in paddy soils significantly increased nitrous oxide emissions by altering microbial community structure and functional gene abundances related to nitrogen cycling.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 189 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on CO2 emission from Yellow River Delta wetland

Researchers found that microplastic contamination in Yellow River Delta wetland soils altered CO2 emissions, with different polymer types and concentrations producing varying effects on soil carbon dynamics — raising concern that plastic pollution could undermine the carbon sequestration function of coastal wetlands.

2022 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effect of Polyethylene Microplastics on Microbial Necromass Carbon in Different Land Use Type Soils].

A lab experiment found that polyethylene microplastics from agricultural film disturb how soil microbes process and store carbon across different land-use types, with low doses increasing nitrogen limitation and high doses releasing extra carbon. This matters because the spread of plastic film fragments in farmland soils could subtly degrade soil fertility and alter the carbon and nitrogen cycles that underpin agricultural productivity.

2026 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Dose effect of polyethylene microplastics on nitrous oxide emissions from paddy soils cultivated for different periods

Researchers found that high doses of polyethylene microplastics (0.5% or more) significantly increased nitrous oxide emissions from paddy soils by promoting nitrifier and denitrifier activity, while low doses had negligible effects.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 46 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

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

Effect of microplastics on organic matter decomposition in paddy soil amended with crop residues and labile C: A three-source-partitioning study

Researchers used isotope labeling to separate contributions of native soil carbon, added crop residues, and labile carbon to CO2 flux in paddy soils containing microplastics, finding that MPs suppressed decomposition of native soil carbon while accelerating breakdown of fresh crop residues.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 106 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Impacts on Greenhouse Gases Emissions in Terrestrial Ecosystems

A 90-day laboratory experiment tested how high-density and low-density polyethylene microplastics at 0-0.1% (w/w) soil concentrations affect greenhouse gas emissions from terrestrial soils. The study found that microplastic type and concentration influenced CO2, CH4, and N2O emissions differently, with implications for microplastic contributions to climate change.

2024 Open Journal of Soil Science 1 citations
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
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic and soil nitrogen dynamics: Unraveling the links between functional genes, microbial communities, and transformation processes

Researchers conducted a six-month experiment to understand how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect nitrogen cycling, a process critical for soil fertility and plant nutrition. They found that while total nitrogen levels stayed stable, microplastics significantly altered the forms of nitrogen present by increasing ammonium and nitrate while decreasing dissolved organic nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastics reshape soil microbial communities and their nitrogen-processing activities, potentially disrupting the natural nutrient balance in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil carbon dioxide emissions and the microbial functional genes involved in organic carbon decomposition in agricultural soil

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics in agricultural soil affect carbon dioxide emissions and the microbial genes responsible for breaking down organic matter. They found that aged microplastics boosted soil carbon dioxide output and shifted the abundance of genes involved in decomposing starch, cellulose, and other carbon compounds. The findings suggest that microplastic accumulation in farmland may alter soil carbon cycling in ways that could influence greenhouse gas emissions.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 210 citations
Article Tier 2

The impacts of microplastics on the cycling of carbon and nitrogen in terrestrial soil ecosystems: Progress and prospects

This review examines how microplastics in soil affect the cycling of carbon and nitrogen, two elements essential for plant growth and soil health. Microplastics alter soil microbial communities and enzyme activity in ways that change greenhouse gas emissions and nutrient availability, which could ultimately affect crop production and the food supply.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 67 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and biochar interactively affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco planting soil

Researchers examined how different types of microplastics from agricultural mulch interact with rice biochar to affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco-growing soil in China. They found that the combined effects of microplastics and biochar on soil emissions differed depending on the plastic polymer type, with some combinations reducing emissions while others did not. The study reveals the complex interplay between plastic residues and soil amendments in agricultural greenhouse gas dynamics.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Presence of microplastics alone and co-existence with hydrochar unexpectedly mitigate ammonia volatilization from rice paddy soil and affect structure of soil microbiome

Microplastics added to rice paddy soil unexpectedly reduced ammonia volatilization compared to unamended controls, with combined addition of microplastics and hydrochar further altering ammonia loss patterns, and microplastics changing soil bacterial community structure in ways that may affect nitrogen cycling in irrigated agricultural ecosystems.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 77 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic effects on soil nitrogen storage, nitrogen emissions, and ammonia volatilization in relation to soil health and crop productivity: mechanism and future consideration

This review examines how microplastics made from polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene affect nitrogen cycling and ammonia release in agricultural soils. Researchers found that these plastic particles can alter soil structure, shift microbial community composition, and disrupt the processes that store and release nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in farmland may have cascading effects on soil fertility and crop productivity.

2025 Frontiers in Plant Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics Addition on Soil Available Nitrogen in Farmland Soil

Researchers conducted soil incubation experiments adding polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations to farmland soil from Fujian Province, China, finding that microplastics altered soil available nitrogen dynamics by affecting nitrate, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitrogen levels as well as soil microbial communities.

2022 Agronomy 8 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effect of microplastics on soil greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis study

This global meta-analysis found that microplastic exposure in soil decreased nitrous oxide emissions by 28.5% and increased methane emissions by 28.6%, though neither change was statistically significant overall. Effects varied dramatically depending on microplastic shape, concentration, soil type, and pH, with fiber-shaped microplastics reducing CO2 emissions by 40% while microplastics in sandy soils increased CO2 by 21%.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
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