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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics stimulated soil bacterial alpha diversity and nitrogen cycle: A global hierarchical meta-analysis
ClearGlobal hierarchical meta-analysis of microplastic-induced changes in the soil nitrogen cycle
This global meta-analysis found that microplastics significantly disrupt soil nitrogen cycling, with high concentrations (>1%) and smaller particle sizes causing the most severe effects on nitrogen transformation processes. These disruptions to soil fertility and microbial communities could ultimately reduce crop productivity and threaten food security.
Global Meta-AnalysisIntegrated with Machine LearningAssesses Context-Dependent Microplastic Effects on Soil MicrobialBiomass Carbon and Nitrogen
This global meta-analysis of 90 studies found that microplastics in soil can increase microbial activity and affect carbon and nitrogen cycles, particularly biodegradable plastics which had the strongest effects. While focused on soil health rather than direct human impact, these changes could affect the quality of crops grown in contaminated soil and the broader food system.
Microplastics negatively affect soil fauna but stimulate microbial activity: insights from a field-based microplastic addition experiment
A meta-analysis of microplastic studies found that microplastics negatively affect soil fauna abundance and diversity while stimulating soil microbial activity, based on data from multiple laboratory experiments. The opposing effects on fauna and microbes suggest that microplastics can shift soil community structure in ways that alter ecosystem functions like decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Nonbiodegradable microplastic types determine the diversity and structure of soil microbial communities: A meta-analysis
A global meta-analysis of 95 studies found that nonbiodegradable microplastics increased soil active microbial biomass by 42% while simultaneously decreasing bacterial Shannon and Chao1 diversity indices by 2-3%. This paradox suggests microplastics promote the growth of specific microbial taxa while suppressing overall diversity, potentially disrupting soil biogeochemical cycles.
Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups
Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in soil increased nitrification (a key step in the nitrogen cycle) and changed the composition of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These changes could affect soil fertility and the availability of nutrients for crops. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil may have hidden effects on food production by altering fundamental soil processes.
Global meta-analysis reveals differential effects of microplastics on soil ecosystem
This meta-analysis pooled data from 114 studies to understand how microplastics affect soil ecosystems at different concentrations. Higher microplastic levels reduced soil organic matter and microbial activity, suggesting that increasing plastic pollution could degrade the soil that supports our food supply.
Microplastic effects on soil nitrogen cycling enzymes: A global meta-analysis of environmental and edaphic factors
This large-scale meta-analysis of 147 studies found that microplastics in soil significantly increased urease and leucine aminopeptidase enzyme activities by about 8%, potentially disrupting nitrogen cycling. Biodegradable microplastics had more pronounced effects than conventional plastics, and responses depended on soil pH, polymer type, particle size, and concentration.
Microplastics alter the equilibrium of plant-soil-microbial system: A meta-analysis
This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies to show that microplastics disrupt the balance between plants, soil, and soil microbes. The effects vary depending on the type, size, and concentration of microplastics, suggesting that these tiny plastic particles can alter how nutrients cycle through the soil and ultimately affect the food we grow.
Effects of microplastics on black soil health: A global meta-analysis
This meta-analysis of 337 cases found that microplastics in black soil increased organic matter, dissolved organic carbon, and available nitrogen but decreased nitrate nitrogen and microbial diversity. Smaller particles, higher concentrations, longer exposure, and conventional (non-biodegradable) plastics caused the most damage, with an overall 12% decrease in black soil health attributed to microplastic contamination.
Effects of microplastics on soil microorganisms and microbial functions in nutrients and carbon cycling – A review
This review examines how microplastics in soil alter the communities of bacteria and fungi that are essential for recycling nutrients like nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon. Microplastics can increase certain beneficial bacteria but decrease others that are important for soil fertility, and they also carry toxic chemicals that further disrupt microbial life. The authors note that most studies are short-term lab experiments, and long-term field studies are needed to understand real-world impacts.
Microplastic pollution promotes soil respiration: A global‐scale meta‐analysis
This global meta-analysis pooled data from multiple studies and found that microplastic pollution in soil increased CO2 emissions by 25%. Microplastics boost certain soil microbes while reducing overall microbial diversity, changing how carbon cycles through the environment. While focused on soil health, this research shows how widespread microplastic pollution is reshaping ecosystems in ways that could ultimately affect climate and agriculture.
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.
Microplastics affect C, N, and P cycling in natural environments: Highlighting the driver of soil hydraulic properties
This study found that common microplastics like polyethylene and polypropylene significantly change how soil handles water and nutrients by increasing water content, reducing soil density, and altering bacterial communities involved in nitrogen and carbon cycling. These changes affected how nutrients are stored in soil, with increases of 12 to 93 percent in nitrogen and carbon storage depending on the plastic type and amount. The findings suggest microplastic pollution could disrupt the fundamental soil processes that support food production.
Microbes drive metabolism, community diversity, and interactions in response to microplastic-induced nutrient imbalance
Researchers investigated how conventional and biodegradable microplastics alter soil nutrient balances and the resulting effects on microbial metabolism, community diversity, and species interactions. The study found that microplastic-induced nutrient imbalances significantly influenced soil microbial processes, with different types of microplastics producing distinct effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling.
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.
Effects of microplastics on soil C and N cycling with or without interactions with soil amendments or soil fauna
A meta-analysis of soil experiments found that microplastics significantly disrupt carbon and nitrogen cycling — the fundamental processes that keep soils fertile and regulate greenhouse gas emissions — especially when microplastics interact with fertilizers, heavy metals, or soil animals like earthworms. The type of plastic and the presence of other stressors compounded the effects, with some combinations causing substantially greater disruption than either factor alone. This matters because agricultural soils are heavily contaminated with microplastics from mulch films and other sources, threatening both food production and climate regulation.
Global Meta-Analysis Integrated with Machine Learning Assesses Context-Dependent Microplastic Effects on Soil Microbial Biomass Carbon and Nitrogen
This global meta-analysis pooled data from 90 studies to examine how microplastics affect soil microbes. In lab settings, microplastics increased microbial biomass by about 10%, with biodegradable plastics having the strongest effects. Temperature was the most important factor influencing these changes. The results suggest microplastics are altering soil ecosystems in ways that could affect agriculture and carbon cycling.
Differential impacts of microplastics on carbon and nitrogen cycling in plant-soil systems: A meta-analysis
A meta-analysis of 3,338 observations found that microplastics increased soil CO2 emissions by 25.7% but also boosted soil carbon storage through increases in total carbon (53.3%), soil organic carbon (25.4%), and microbial biomass carbon (19.6%). However, microplastics decreased plant aboveground biomass and reduced nitrate and ammonia volatilization, suggesting that while soil carbon sink capacity may increase, agricultural productivity could suffer.
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.
Global Responses of Soil Carbon Dynamics to Microplastic Exposure: A Data Synthesis of Laboratory Studies
This meta-analysis combined data from 110 studies to understand how microplastics change the way carbon moves through soil. The findings suggest that plastic pollution can disrupt natural soil processes, which may affect soil health and the planet's ability to store carbon.
Polyethylene microplastics alter soil microbial community assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations affect soil microbial communities and overall ecosystem function in a maize growing system. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics shifted microbial community composition, reduced beneficial bacteria involved in nutrient cycling, and impaired multiple soil ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can undermine the biological processes that support healthy crop growth.
Sub-micron microplastics affect nitrogen cycling by altering microbial abundance and activities in a soil-legume system
Researchers found that very small (sub-micron) polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in soil significantly altered nitrogen cycling by changing the abundance and activity of bacteria around soybean roots. While the microplastics did not affect plant growth directly, they increased nitrogen uptake and shifted the balance of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These hidden changes to soil chemistry could have long-term effects on agricultural productivity and the nutritional quality of crops.
Do Added Microplastics, Native Soil Properties, and Prevailing Climatic Conditions Have Consequences for Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Soil? A Global Data Synthesis of Pot and Greenhouse Studies
This meta-analysis examined how microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, which are key to soil fertility. The results show that certain types of plastics — especially smaller, fiber-shaped particles — can significantly alter soil chemistry, potentially affecting crop growth and soil health.
Role of microplastics in microbial community structure and functions in urban soils
Researchers analyzed 42 soil samples from seven types of urban areas and found that microplastics in city soil significantly alter the makeup and activity of microbial communities. Higher microplastic levels were linked to changes in bacteria involved in nutrient cycling and organic matter breakdown. This matters because healthy soil microbes are essential for urban green spaces, food gardens, and ultimately the quality of produce grown in city environments.