Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Spatiotemporal heterogeneous effects of microplastics input on soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) under field conditions

Researchers conducted a long-term field experiment and found that microplastic inputs have spatiotemporally heterogeneous effects on soil dissolved organic matter (DOM), with implications for soil carbon dynamics under increasing terrestrial plastic contamination.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Diverse Impactsof Microplastic-derived DissolvedOrganic Matter at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations on SoilDissolved Organic Matter Transformation

Researchers examined how dissolved organic matter derived from agricultural microplastic mulches affects soil DOM transformation in yellow and black soils at environmentally relevant concentrations. They found that microplastic-derived DOM altered soil DOM dynamics in ways that could affect nutrient cycling and soil ecosystem function even at low, realistic exposure levels.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Diverse Impacts of Microplastic-derived Dissolved Organic Matter at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations on Soil Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation

Researchers examined how dissolved organic matter leached from biodegradable and conventional agricultural mulch microplastics affects soil chemistry at environmentally realistic concentrations. They found that UV-exposed microplastic leachates were more bioavailable and caused greater changes to soil organic matter than those produced in dark conditions. The study suggests that even at low concentrations, microplastic-derived compounds can meaningfully alter soil carbon dynamics, with effects varying by soil type.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic coupled with soil dissolved organic matter mediated changes in the soil chemical and microbial characteristics

Researchers conducted a two-month incubation experiment to study how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect soil carbon composition and microbial communities. They found that microplastics altered the dissolved organic matter in soil and shifted how microbial communities utilized carbon sources. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils may have cascading effects on soil health and nutrient cycling.

2024 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of soil dissolved organic matter to microplastic addition in Chinese loess soil

Researchers added microplastics to loess soil at two concentrations and tracked dissolved organic matter over 30 days, finding that even moderate additions altered the rate of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus release, stimulated soil enzyme activity, and promoted accumulation of high-molecular-weight humic compounds — suggesting microplastic pollution reshapes soil nutrient cycling.

2017 Chemosphere 864 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Regulates Soil Carbon Respiration via Microbial Ecophysiological Controls

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released by microplastics affects the way soil microbes process carbon. They found that compounds leaching from both new and aged microplastics stimulated soil carbon release, with aged microplastics having a larger effect by altering microbial community structure. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution may influence soil carbon cycling and potentially affect how effectively soils store carbon.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-driven reconfiguration of organic carbon fractions in lake sediments: mineralization and stabilization dynamics of biodegradable polymers

Microplastics in soil were found to alter the composition and distribution of organic carbon fractions, with implications for soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The study reveals that microplastic contamination can reshape the biogeochemical cycling of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems.

2025 Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic effects on soil organic matter dynamics and bacterial communities under contrasting soil environments

Researchers compared microplastic effects on soil organic matter dynamics and bacterial communities across contrasting soil environments, finding that the type of microplastic polymer and soil conditions together determine whether microbial activity and carbon cycling are stimulated or suppressed.

2024
Article Tier 2

Research on the Effects of Aging Microplastics on Soil Nitrogen and Dissolved Organic Matter in Dryland Soil

Researchers examined the effects of aged microplastics at varying concentrations on nitrogen forms and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in dryland agricultural soil, finding that microplastic addition reduced ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and total nitrogen while altering DOM composition, humic content, and soil organic matter stability.

2025 Advances in Environmental Protection
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Influence Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation Mediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

Researchers conducted a 450-day experiment to study how microplastics alter the transformation of dissolved organic matter within soil aggregates, a process critical for soil stability and fertility. They found that microplastics destabilized organic matter in larger soil clumps while increasing its chemical complexity in smaller ones, with biodegradable plastics having the strongest effects. These changes were driven by shifts in microbial communities, suggesting that microplastic pollution could fundamentally alter how carbon cycles through agricultural soils.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Organic fertilizer facilitates the soil microplastic surface degradation and enriches the diversity of bacterial biofilm

Researchers found that organic fertilizer application facilitates surface degradation of microplastics in soil and enriches the diversity of bacterial biofilms on plastic surfaces, suggesting fertilizer use influences microplastic behavior and fate in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 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

Microplastic-DerivedDissolved Organic Matter RegulatesSoil Carbon Respiration via Microbial Ecophysiological Controls

Researchers investigated how microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter influences soil carbon respiration, finding that carbon compounds leached from microplastics alter soil heterotrophic microbial ecophysiology and thereby affect carbon sequestration dynamics in contaminated soils.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Soil carbon cycling mediated by microplastics: Formation, mineralization, and sequestration

This review examines how microplastic pollution affects soil organic carbon cycling, covering direct participation in carbon processes and indirect effects on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities. The authors synthesize mechanisms by which microplastics influence organic carbon formation, mineralization, and sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems.

2024 Scientia Sinica Technologica 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of different polymers of microplastics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen – A mesocosm experiment

Researchers found that adding polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics to agricultural soil altered carbon and nitrogen dynamics, with biodegradable microplastics having stronger effects on soil organic carbon decomposition and nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.

2021 Environmental Research 233 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics InfluenceDissolved Organic Matter TransformationMediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

A 450-day incubation experiment found that microplastics altered dissolved organic matter transformation in different soil aggregate fractions by modifying microbial community composition and activity, potentially affecting long-term soil carbon dynamics. (Duplicate record of ID 10767.)

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and the microbial community in fertilized soil

Two particle sizes of microplastics were added to fertilized soil and their effects on dissolved organic carbon, greenhouse gas fluxes, and microbial communities were measured, finding reduced global warming potential due to decreased methane emissions but changes in bacterial and fungal community composition. The study reveals complex interactions between microplastics and soil carbon cycling processes.

2019 Environmental Pollution 529 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Inhibit Organic Carbon Mineralization by Influencing Soil Aggregate Distribution and Microbial Community Structure in Cultivated Soil: Evidence from a One-Year Pot Experiment

Researchers conducted a one-year pot experiment to study how different types and concentrations of microplastics affect soil carbon cycling and aggregate stability. They found that microplastics significantly altered soil aggregate size distribution and decreased organic carbon mineralization rates regardless of polymer type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination may slow the natural breakdown of organic carbon in agricultural soils by changing soil structure and microbial communities.

2024 Agronomy 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption of microplastic-derived organic matter onto minerals

Dissolved organic matter (DOM) released from weathered microplastics was studied for its adsorption onto soil minerals, a process relevant to microplastic fate and potential contaminant transport. Microplastic-derived DOM adsorbed onto mineral surfaces, altering soil chemistry and potentially stabilizing or mobilizing other contaminants in soil-water systems.

2020 Water Research 152 citations
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the Fingerprint of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Soil Amended with Biodegradable and Conventional Microplastics Based on Optical and Molecular Signatures

Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on dissolved organic matter in two soil types using advanced spectroscopy techniques. They found that biodegradable polybutylene succinate significantly increased dissolved organic carbon and generated more biologically active organic molecules, likely due to polymer degradation. Conventional microplastics showed subtler effects that varied between soil types, suggesting that both biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics can alter soil chemistry in distinct ways.

2022 Environmental Science & Technology 200 citations