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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Effects of microplastics on sedimentary greenhouse gas emissions and underlying microbiome-mediated mechanisms: A comparison of sediments from distinct altitudes
ClearImpact of microplastics on microbial community structure in the Qiantang river: A potential source of N2O emissions
Researchers examined how microplastics affect microbial community structure in the Qiantang River, finding that plastic contamination selects for specific bacterial taxa and alters the functional composition of river microbial communities.
Microplastics alter nitrous oxide production and pathways through affecting microbiome in estuarine sediments
Researchers found that both petroleum-based and biodegradable microplastics increased nitrous oxide production in estuarine sediments, with biodegradable polylactic acid plastics showing greater effects by altering microbial nitrogen cycling pathways.
Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in sediment of freshwater systems
Researchers found that PET microplastics of different sizes significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in freshwater sediments, with smaller particles (5 micrometers) notably increasing methane emissions and altering nutrient cycling over 90 days.
Microplastics promote N2O emissions by enhancing nitrification via ammonia-oxidizing bacteria in estuarine and coastal sediments
Incubation experiments with sediments from China's Yangtze River estuary found that polyethylene, polypropylene, and PET microplastics all significantly increased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions — a potent greenhouse gas — by stimulating ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) rather than the archaea that normally dominate nitrogen cycling. Genomic analysis revealed that these bacteria carry enzymes capable of degrading plastic, possibly explaining why they thrive in plastic-contaminated sediments. This links microplastic pollution to climate change through an overlooked pathway: disrupting coastal nitrogen cycling and increasing greenhouse gas emissions.
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.
Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments
Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.
Response of denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation processes in freshwater and marine sediments to polyvinyl chloride microplastics
Researchers investigated how polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect denitrifying anaerobic methane oxidation (n-DAMO) processes in freshwater and marine sediments. They found that the presence of microplastics significantly increased n-DAMO rates compared to controls, with marine sediments showing a more pronounced response. The study provides the first evidence that PVC microplastics may actually enhance methane-consuming microbial processes in sediments.
Impacts and mechanism of biodegradable microplastics on lake sediment properties, bacterial dynamics, and greenhouse gasses emissions
Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics in lake sediments increased greenhouse gas emissions more than conventional polyethylene microplastics, altering sediment properties and microbial communities in ways that enhanced carbon dioxide and methane production.
Impact of microplastics on riverine greenhouse gas emissions: a view point
This viewpoint examines how microplastic accumulation in rivers may alter microbial communities and disrupt biogeochemical cycles, potentially increasing greenhouse gas emissions such as methane and nitrous oxide from riverine ecosystems, identifying this as a critical but underexplored consequence of freshwater microplastic pollution.
Microplastics distribution characteristics in typical inflow rivers of Taihu lake: Linking to nitrous oxide emission and microbial analysis
Researchers measured microplastic abundance in inflow rivers of China's Taihu Lake and linked it to elevated nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from surface water and sediment. Microplastic-associated shifts in microbial communities appeared to drive increased denitrification-related N2O flux, connecting plastic pollution to greenhouse gas cycling.
Microplastics AmplifyGreenhouse Gas Emissions fromFreshwater Sediments through Synergistic Interactions
Researchers found that increasing microplastic chemodiversity — measured by polymer type number and chemical composition — amplified greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater sediments by up to 4.69-fold in aquatic microcosms, with synergistic interactions prevailing when three or more polymer types were combined. This amplification effect was further intensified under warming conditions and was mediated by shifts in microbial community composition and dissolved organic matter.
Microplastics promote methane emission in estuarine and coastal wetlands
This study found that microplastics in coastal and estuarine wetlands increase methane emissions by boosting the activity of methane-producing microorganisms while reducing methane-consuming ones. Both conventional and biodegradable plastics had this effect, meaning microplastic pollution is not just a direct health concern but also contributes to climate change by amplifying greenhouse gas release from natural ecosystems.
Mechanisms Associated with Lower Methane Emissions from Paddy Soil by Aged Polylactic Acid Microplastics
Researchers found that paddy fields with certain management practices emitted less methane, linking microplastic content and soil microbial community shifts to reduced greenhouse gas output. The study highlights how plastic contamination in agricultural soils can unexpectedly alter the carbon cycle.
Depth-dependent response of soil microbial community and greenhouse gas efflux to polylactic acid microplastics and tidal cycles in a mangrove ecosystem
Researchers found that biodegradable plastic (PLA) microplastics in mangrove soil increased the release of greenhouse gases, especially carbon dioxide and methane, from deeper soil layers. The microplastics altered soil bacterial communities in ways that boosted methane-producing organisms. This finding is important because biodegradable plastics are often marketed as environmentally friendly, but they may still harm ecosystems by accelerating carbon release from soils.
A Study of the Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Communities in Marine Sediments
This study investigated how the presence of microplastics in marine sediments affects microbial communities and, specifically, the methane cycle, finding that microplastics significantly altered microbial community structure and function. Since marine sediment microbes play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic contamination could have broader climate-relevant effects beyond direct toxicity.
Presence of different microplastics promotes greenhouse gas emissions and alters the microbial community composition of farmland soil
Researchers examined how five types of microplastics (PVC, PP, PE, PS, and PET) at different concentrations affect greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in farmland soil. The study found that microplastic presence promoted greenhouse gas emissions and altered the composition of soil microbial communities, with effects varying by plastic type and concentration.
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.
Microplastics Amplify Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Freshwater Sediments through Synergistic Interactions
A large-scale aquatic microcosm experiment with 1264 containers found that greater microplastic chemical diversity — more types of polymers together — significantly amplified greenhouse gas emissions from freshwater sediments, with warming temperature further compounding the effect.
Microplastics pollution alters bacterial community in hyporheic sediments: A case study from the Beiluo River Basin
Researchers surveyed microplastics in hyporheic zone sediments (the biologically active layer beneath riverbeds) of China's Beiluo River and found that PET fragments smaller than 30 µm dominated, with polymer type and particle size driving distinct shifts in bacterial community composition and suppressing overall microbial diversity.
Microbial carbon metabolism patterns of microplastic biofilm in the vertical profile of urban rivers
Researchers examined how microbial carbon metabolism in microplastic biofilms varies vertically through the water column of urban rivers, where plastic particles sink and accumulate at different depths. Biofilm metabolic function and community composition changed significantly with depth, suggesting that vertical transport of microplastics through the water column shapes distinct microbial carbon cycling niches in urban river ecosystems.
Polystyrene microplastics facilitate formation of refractory dissolved organic matter and reduce CO2 emissions
Researchers found that polystyrene microplastics altered the composition and function of microbial communities in aquatic environments, promoting the formation of refractory dissolved organic matter that resists further breakdown. This shift in organic matter composition also led to reduced carbon dioxide emissions from the water system. The study suggests that microplastic pollution may have unexpected effects on aquatic carbon cycling by changing how organic matter is processed by microbes.
Microplastics as drivers of carbon and nitrogen cycling alterations in aquatic ecosystems: A meta-analysis
This network meta-analysis found that microplastics enhance dissolved and total organic carbon in aquatic sediments, promote anaerobic processes, and stimulate greenhouse gas emissions including N2O and methane. In seawater sediments, microplastics significantly boosted denitrification gene abundance, while biodegradable microplastics showed stronger effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling than conventional plastics.
Plastic particles driving cadmium mobility and nitrous oxide emissions: Revealing microbial Fe–N interactions in wetlands
Researchers exposed wetland soil columns to polypropylene microplastics and found that MPs increased nitrous oxide emissions by 45%, raised exchangeable cadmium fractions by 28%, and decreased plant cadmium uptake by 56%, revealing that microplastics alter both greenhouse gas cycling and heavy metal bioavailability in urban wetlands.
CH4 and CO2 Emissions from the Decomposition of Microplastics in the Bottom Sediment—Preliminary Studies
Preliminary experiments measured CO2 and methane emissions from decomposing microplastics (PVC, PP, and rubber) in water-saturated bottom sediments, finding measurable greenhouse gas production that varied by polymer type and plasticizer content. The results suggest that microplastic accumulation in aquatic sediments may represent a previously unaccounted source of greenhouse gas emissions.