Papers

61,005 results
|
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

Dose effect of polyethylene microplastics on nitrous oxide emissions from paddy soils cultivated for different periods

Researchers found that high doses of polyethylene microplastics (0.5% or more) significantly increased nitrous oxide emissions from paddy soils by promoting nitrifier and denitrifier activity, while low doses had negligible effects.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 46 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 189 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil denitrification stimulated by macroplastics in maize cultivation

Researchers investigated how macroplastics (plastic debris >2 cm) affect soil nitrogen cycling in maize cultivation through a controlled experiment. Macroplastics stimulated soil denitrification, potentially increasing nitrous oxide emissions and reducing nitrogen availability for crops.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastic composition-dependent effects on N2O emissions driven by changes in soil N process and microbial communities

This study found that biodegradable and conventional microplastics both reduced nitrous oxide emissions from plant-soil systems by 17-32%, but through different mechanisms: polyethylene promoted complete denitrification, PLA suppressed a key denitrification gene, and PBAT inhibited both nitrification and denitrification. A companion meta-analysis of 14 plant-soil studies confirmed that microplastics reduce N2O emissions by an average of 22% in vegetated systems.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 4 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

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
Article Tier 2

Microplastics from polyvinyl chloride agricultural plastic films do not change nitrogenous gas emission but enhance denitrification potential

Researchers investigated whether microplastics from PVC and PE agricultural films affect nitrogen gas emissions from soil. They found that while PVC microplastics did not significantly change nitrogenous gas emissions under normal oxygen conditions, they enhanced the soil's denitrification potential under low-oxygen conditions. The study suggests that plastic film residues in farmland may subtly alter soil nitrogen cycling processes.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics Addition on Soil Available Nitrogen in Farmland Soil

Researchers conducted soil incubation experiments adding polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations to farmland soil from Fujian Province, China, finding that microplastics altered soil available nitrogen dynamics by affecting nitrate, ammonium, and dissolved organic nitrogen levels as well as soil microbial communities.

2022 Agronomy 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics and biochar interactively affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco planting soil

Researchers examined how different types of microplastics from agricultural mulch interact with rice biochar to affect nitrous oxide emissions from tobacco-growing soil in China. They found that the combined effects of microplastics and biochar on soil emissions differed depending on the plastic polymer type, with some combinations reducing emissions while others did not. The study reveals the complex interplay between plastic residues and soil amendments in agricultural greenhouse gas dynamics.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2026 Water Research
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
Article Tier 2

[Advances in the Effects of Microplastics on Soil N2O Emissions and Nitrogen Transformation].

This review synthesizes current research on how microplastics affect soil nitrogen cycling, including N2O emissions, nitrogen transformation processes, functional enzyme activity, and nitrogen-related genes, highlighting inconsistent findings due to variability in microplastic properties, experimental conditions, and spatial-temporal scales.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Microplastic fibers affect dynamics and intensity of CO2 and N2O fluxes from soil differently

Researchers added plastic microfibers to agricultural soil and found that while the fibers increased carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by improving soil aeration, they simultaneously decreased nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by suppressing the denitrification process. These opposing effects on two major greenhouse gases mean microplastic soil contamination has complex and competing consequences for climate change.

2021 Microplastics and Nanoplastics 131 citations
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

Biochar-microplastics interaction modulates soil nitrous oxide emissions and microbial communities

Researchers examined how biochar interacts with conventional and biodegradable microplastics in soil to affect coriander growth, nitrous oxide emissions, and microbial communities. They found that biochar generally reduced soil nitrous oxide emissions, but this benefit was diminished or even reversed when certain microplastics were present. The study suggests that the combined use of biochar and plastic mulch in agricultural fields can produce unexpected effects on greenhouse gas emissions and soil microbiology.

2025 Biochar 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polypropylene Microplastics Concentration on Wastewater Denitrification

Researchers investigated the effect of polypropylene microplastic concentration on wastewater denitrification, finding that PP microplastics impaired the NO2-N reduction step and increased greenhouse gas N2O production in a concentration-dependent manner, with significant NO2-N accumulation observed at 60 mg/L, while NO3-N removal remained largely unaffected.

2022 Science Journal of Chemistry 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Antagonistic Effect of Microplastic Polyvinyl Chloride and Nitrification Inhibitor on Soil Nitrous Oxide Emission: An Overlooked Risk of Microplastic to the Agrochemical Effectiveness

Agricultural soil experiments found that polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics and the nitrification inhibitor DMPP interact antagonistically, meaning their combined presence partially cancels out each other's individual effects on reducing nitrous oxide emissions from soil. This unexpected interaction suggests that widespread microplastic contamination in farm soils could quietly undermine the effectiveness of agrochemicals designed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

2024 Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics enhance nitrogen loss from a black paddy soil by shifting nitrate reduction from DNRA to denitrification and Anammox

Using nitrogen-15 tracer and molecular techniques, researchers found that polystyrene, PVC, and polyethylene microplastics shifted nitrate reduction pathways in black paddy soil from dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) toward denitrification, enhancing nitrogen gas loss and reducing soil nitrogen retention.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the context of straw incorporation: A comparison with different types of soil

Researchers combined microplastic treatments with straw incorporation in different soil types and measured effects on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, finding that microplastics altered carbon cycling and in some soils increased CO2 and N2O emissions.

2021 Environmental Pollution 159 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect and mechanism of microplastics to the N2O emission in underground and aboveground wastewater treatment plants

This study compared microplastic levels and their effects on nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions — a potent greenhouse gas — in underground and aboveground wastewater treatment plants in China. Underground plants had higher incoming microplastic concentrations but achieved slightly better removal rates, and microplastics were found to influence the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen processing in ways that affected N2O production. The results suggest that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems has consequences not only for water quality but potentially for greenhouse gas emissions from these facilities.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 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

[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