Papers

20 results
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Review Tier 2

Key factors and mechanisms of microplastics’ effects on soil nitrogen transformation: A review

This review systematically analyzed how microplastics affect nitrogen transformation processes in soil. Researchers found that the size, shape, concentration, and polymer type of microplastics all influence soil nitrogen cycling through changes to microbial communities, soil structure, and enzyme activity. The study identifies key knowledge gaps and recommends standardized research approaches to better predict how microplastic pollution will alter soil nutrient dynamics.

2024 Soil & Environmental Health 15 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

[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 N2O Emission and Nitrogen Transformations from Tropical Agricultural Soils].

Researchers conducted a controlled laboratory incubation experiment to examine the effects of polyethylene and polybutylene adipate co-terephthalate microplastics on N2O emissions and nitrogen transformations in tropical agricultural soils from a pepper-corn cropping system in Hainan Province, China.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution on the soil and its consequences on the nitrogen cycle: a review

This review examines microplastic pollution impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, finding that microplastics alter soil structure, serve as novel microbial colonization surfaces, and affect the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Recent advances on the effects of microplastics on elements cycling in the environment

This review summarized how microplastics affect carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling in the environment, finding that impacts occur primarily in soil ecosystems where microplastics alter CO2 emissions, nitrogen transformation processes, and phosphorus availability.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 148 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
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastics stimulated nitrous oxide emissions primarily through denitrification: A meta-analysis

Meta-analysis of 60 studies found that microplastic exposure increased soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 140.6%, primarily by stimulating denitrification rates (up 17.8%) and denitrifier gene abundance (up 10.6%), while nitrification remained unaffected. This resulted in a 38.8% increase in soil nitrite and a 22.4% decrease in nitrate.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 108 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

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

Effects of micro(nano)plastics on soil nutrient cycling: State of the knowledge.

This review systematically examined how micro- and nano-plastics affect soil nutrient cycling for carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, finding that physical interference with soil structure, alteration of microbial communities, and chemical toxicity collectively disrupt mineralization, nitrification, and phosphorus availability in contaminated soils.

2023 Journal of environmental management
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

Effects of microplastics on microbial community and greenhouse gas emission in soil: A critical review

This review examines how microplastics in soil affect microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions, finding that microplastics can alter the abundance and activity of soil bacteria in ways that increase carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide release. The plastics change soil structure and chemistry, creating conditions that favor certain gas-producing microbes over others. These effects could worsen climate change while also disrupting soil fertility, with indirect consequences for food production.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 14 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 and mechanism of microplastics on organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural soil: A review

This review summarizes how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils affects carbon and nitrogen cycling by altering soil properties, microbial communities, and enzymatic activity. Evidence indicates that microplastics can change organic matter degradation rates and nutrient cycling processes, with implications for soil health and agricultural productivity.

2023 Soil Use and Management 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil properties: Current knowledge and future perspectives

This review examines how microplastics affect soil health, including changes to soil structure, chemistry, and the microbial communities that keep soil fertile. The effects vary depending on the type, shape, and amount of plastic present, but in many cases microplastics alter nutrient availability and can even influence greenhouse gas emissions from soil. These changes could threaten crop productivity and food safety, since microplastics are now found in agricultural soils worldwide.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 837 citations
Review Tier 2

Recent Insights into Microplastic Pollution and Its Effects on Soil Carbon: A Five-Year Ecosystem Review

This review of 46 studies examines how microplastics influence carbon cycling in different soil ecosystems. The majority of studies reported increased CO2 and methane emissions in soils containing microplastics, though some found opposite or neutral effects depending on soil type and the characteristics of the microplastics, highlighting the need for further research to understand these complex interactions.

2025 Microplastics 7 citations
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microplastic effects on carbon cycling in terrestrial soil ecosystems: Storage, formation, mineralization, and microbial mechanisms

Microplastics in soil contribute to organic carbon storage through degradation and leaching, but also disrupt carbon cycling by altering plant growth, litter decomposition, and microbial activity. The net effect on soil CO2 and CH4 emissions varies depending on how microplastics reshape microbial community structure and enzyme activity.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics induced the differential responses of microbial-driven soil carbon and nitrogen cycles under warming

Researchers examined how the combination of microplastic pollution and warming temperatures affects soil carbon and nitrogen cycling driven by microbial communities. The study found that microplastics altered microbial responses to warming in ways that disrupted both carbon decomposition and nitrogen transformation processes in soil.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 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