Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

The Structural and Functional Responses of Rhizosphere Bacteria to Biodegradable Microplastics in the Presence of Biofertilizers

Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics interact with biofertilizers in crop soils and found that even though biodegradable plastics are designed as greener alternatives, they still significantly altered soil bacterial communities and disrupted carbon metabolism pathways. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics may affect soil health differently than conventional plastics, but are not necessarily harmless.

2024 Plants 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Distinct influence of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on microbe-driving nitrogen cycling processes in soils and plastispheres as evaluated by metagenomic analysis

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affect nitrogen cycling by soil microbes. They found that biodegradable microplastics caused stronger changes to microbial communities and nitrogen processing pathways than conventional plastics, particularly by enriching certain bacteria on their surfaces. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastic mulch alternatives may significantly alter soil nutrient cycling in agricultural settings.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 156 citations
Article Tier 2

Nonlinear microbial nutrient limitation responses to biodegradable vs. conventional microplastics under long-term agricultural management

Researchers sampled long-term agricultural plots to compare how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect microbial nutrient limitation in soil. Both types of MPs altered microbial metabolism, with biodegradable MPs in some cases causing greater disruption to nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Deciphering the effects of long-term exposure to conventional and biodegradable microplastics on the soil microbiome

This study compared how conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect soil microbes over long time periods and found that both types significantly changed soil microbial communities and disrupted carbon and nitrogen cycling after extended exposure. Biodegradable plastics, often marketed as eco-friendly, actually released more chemical byproducts than conventional plastics, which matters because these soil changes can affect the food we grow.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 17 citations
Article Tier 2

The plastisphere of biodegradable and conventional microplastics from residues exhibit distinct microbial structure, network and function in plastic-mulching farmland

Researchers compared the bacterial communities that colonize biodegradable and conventional plastic microplastics in farmland soil. They found that biodegradable plastics (PBAT/PLA) and conventional polyethylene each attracted distinct microbial communities with different functions, including bacteria that could degrade plastics or cycle nutrients. The results suggest that even biodegradable plastics create unique microbial environments in soil that may affect soil health and function in unexpected ways.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 214 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable and conventional microplastics exhibit distinct microbiome, functionality, and metabolome changes in soil

Researchers compared the effects of conventional plastics (polyethylene and polystyrene) and biodegradable plastics (polylactide and polybutylene succinate) on soil microbial communities. They found that both types of microplastics significantly altered soil microbial composition, but biodegradable microplastics had a more pronounced impact on soil metabolic function and microbial activity than conventional ones.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 252 citations
Article Tier 2

Discrepant soil microbial community and C cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon cycling. Researchers found that the two types of microplastics had markedly different effects, with biodegradable plastics causing more changes to microbial community structure and carbon-related gene activity. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics, while designed to be more environmentally friendly, may still significantly alter soil biology.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 33 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential responses of soil microbial community structure and function to conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Scientists compared how tiny pieces of regular plastics and "biodegradable" plastics affect helpful bacteria in soil after 6 months. They found that biodegradable plastics actually disrupted soil bacteria more than regular plastics, changing the microbes that help plants grow and cycle nutrients. This matters because these soil bacteria are crucial for growing healthy food, so switching to biodegradable plastics might not be the simple environmental solution we hoped for.

2026 Applied Soil Ecology
Article Tier 2

Integrated microbiota and multi-omics analysis reveal the differential responses of earthworm to conventional and biodegradable microplastics in soil under biogas slurry irrigation

Researchers compared how conventional and biodegradable microplastics from agricultural mulch films affect earthworms in soil treated with biogas slurry fertilizer. Using multi-omics analysis, they found that both types of microplastics disrupted earthworm gut bacteria and metabolic pathways, though through different molecular mechanisms. The study suggests that biodegradable plastic alternatives may still pose risks to soil organisms that warrant further investigation.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 28 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial resistance in rhizosphere hotspots under biodegradable and non-degradable microplastic amendment: Community and functional sensitivity

Researchers examined microbial community and functional sensitivity in rhizosphere hotspots amended with biodegradable and non-degradable microplastics, assessing how different polymer types affect microbial resistance and functional diversity in agricultural soils.

2024
Article Tier 2

Succession of soil bacterial communities and network patterns in response to conventional and biodegradable microplastics: A microcosmic study in Mollisol

Using a soil microcosm experiment, researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affected soil bacterial communities over 90 days across four dosages. Biodegradable microplastics induced greater community dissimilarity from controls and tended to enrich environmentally beneficial taxa, while conventional polyethylene promoted potentially hazardous bacteria.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 79 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on the soil-soybean system: A perspective on rhizosphere microbial community and soil element cycling

This study compared how conventional polyethylene microplastics and biodegradable alternatives (PBAT and PLA) affect soil bacteria and nutrient cycling in soybean fields. The biodegradable microplastics actually caused more harm to soybean growth than conventional ones, reducing shoot biomass by up to 34% and disrupting nitrogen availability in soil. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always better for the environment and raises questions about their impact on agricultural productivity and food security.

2024 Environment International 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on common bean rhizosphere bacterial communities

Researchers studied how polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics affect bacterial communities in the root zone of common beans. Both types of microplastics significantly altered the diversity and composition of rhizosphere bacteria, with biodegradable microplastics inducing more distinctive changes than conventional polyethylene at higher concentrations.

2022 Applied Soil Ecology 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into soil microbial assemblages and nitrogen cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional PVC microplastics affect soil bacteria and nitrogen cycling processes. They found that both types of microplastics altered microbial communities, but biodegradable plastics had distinct effects on nitrogen-processing bacteria and did not simply behave as a harmless alternative. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics may change rather than eliminate the impact of microplastic contamination on soil health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil biota modulate the effects of microplastics on biomass and diversity of plant communities

Researchers used mesocosm experiments with natural soil biota to compare the effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on plant community biomass and diversity. Soil biota modulated the impact of microplastics, with biodegradable plastics showing similar effects to conventional plastics on plant community structure, challenging the assumption that biodegradable alternatives are environmentally benign.

2024 Journal of Applied Ecology 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable PBAT microplastics adversely affect pakchoi (Brassica chinensis L.) growth and the rhizosphere ecology: Focusing on rhizosphere microbial community composition, element metabolic potential, and root exudates

Researchers compared biodegradable PBAT plastic microplastics with conventional polyethylene microplastics in soil and found that the biodegradable version actually caused more harm to plant growth and soil health. PBAT microplastics reduced nutrient availability, disrupted the soil microbial community, and altered root chemistry more than conventional plastic. This finding challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always safer for the environment.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different microplastics on the physicochemical properties and microbial diversity of rice rhizosphere soil

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics, both fresh and aged, affect rice paddy soil properties and microbial communities. They found that aged microplastics had stronger effects than fresh ones, altering soil pH, nutrient availability, and the composition of root-associated bacteria. The study warns that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil health than conventional plastics, especially as they break down over time.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 17 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 74 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable Polyesters and Low Molecular Weight Polyethylene in Soil: Interrelations of Material Properties, Soil Organic Matter Substances, and Microbial Community

Researchers examined how biodegradable polyesters and low molecular weight polyethylene behave in soil environments, investigating their interactions with soil organic matter and microbial communities over time. They found that both biodegradable and conventional polymer microplastics alter soil microbial community composition and interact with organic matter fractions, with biodegradable plastics showing distinct but not necessarily more benign effects than conventional plastics.

2022 International Journal of Molecular Sciences 16 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