Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Temperature-dependent effects of microplastics on sediment bacteriome and metabolome

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics, including polyethylene, polylactic acid, and tire particles, affect sediment microbial communities and metabolic processes at different temperatures. The study found that temperature strongly influences certain enzyme activities while microplastic type affects others, with tire particles in particular significantly altering microbial community composition and metabolic pathways in wetland sediments.

2024 Chemosphere 17 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastic on Freshwater Sediment Biogeochemistry and Microbial Communities Is Polymer Specific

Researchers used a microcosm approach to test how three common plastic types found in Great Lakes sediments affect freshwater benthic biogeochemistry and microbial communities. They found that each polymer had distinct effects: PET fibers decreased ecosystem metabolism, PVC particles increased nutrient uptake, and tire-derived rubber most substantially altered microbial community function. The study highlights that the environmental impact of microplastics in freshwater sediments depends heavily on the specific polymer type involved.

2024 Water 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the impact of microplastics with distinct polymer types and concentrations on tidal sediment microbiome and nitrogen cycling

Researchers tested how five different types of microplastics at varying concentrations affect microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in tidal sediments over 30 days. They found that microplastics generally reduced microbial diversity and enhanced nitrogen fixation, with biodegradable PLA plastic showing concentration-dependent effects. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in coastal sediments can disrupt important nutrient cycling processes driven by microorganisms.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 30 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2022 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential carbon accumulation of microbial necromass and plant lignin by pollution of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics in soil

This study found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics changed how carbon is stored in soil. The plastics increased carbon from dead microbes while decreasing carbon from plant material, with most of the additional soil carbon coming from fungal remains. These changes to soil chemistry matter because they could affect agricultural productivity and the ability of soil to store carbon, with broader implications for climate and food systems.

2024 Environmental Pollution 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil microbiome: The impacts of polymer type, shape, and concentration

Researchers examined how different microplastic polymer types, shapes, and concentrations affected soil bacterial communities, finding that these physical characteristics induced distinct shifts in soil microbiome composition and diversity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic residues in wetland ecosystems: Do they truly threaten the plant-microbe-soil system?

Researchers used a controlled pot experiment to assess microplastic effects on wetland plant growth, soil microbial communities, and nutrient cycling, finding that MPs altered soil enzyme activity and shifted bacterial community composition but had variable effects on plant growth depending on plastic type.

2021 Environment International 238 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on bacterial communities in lake wetland sediments: a comparison between drought and flooded conditions

Researchers established a sediment microcosm system for Poyang Lake wetland and examined the effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on bacterial community structure, functional genes, and ecological processes over 180 days under both simulated drought and flooded conditions.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management
Article Tier 2

Freeze-thaw aged polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics alter enzyme activity and microbial community composition in soil

This study found that when polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics go through freeze-thaw cycles (as they would in cold-climate soils), their surfaces change in ways that alter soil enzyme activity and shift microbial communities. These findings matter because changes in soil microbes can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on human food systems.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 42 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

[Response of Water-Vallisneria natans-Sediment System to Polyethylene Microplastics].

This study examined how polyethylene microplastics affect the water-Vallisneria natans-sediment system, finding that microplastic exposure alters aquatic plant physiology, sediment microbial activity, and nutrient cycling dynamics.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of PE and PLA Microplastics on Nitrogen and Phosphorus Elements in Sediments of Zhalong Wetland].

A controlled lab experiment tested how adding polyethylene (PE) and polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics at different concentrations affected nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in wetland sediments from China's Zhalong wetland. Both microplastic types significantly reduced available nitrogen and phosphorus in the sediment, with effects depending on concentration and microplastic type. These nutrient disruptions could impair the productivity of wetland ecosystems and alter water quality in connected water bodies.

2026 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Simulation of the effects of microplastics on the microbial community structure and nitrogen cycle of paddy soil

Researchers tested how three types of microplastics affect microbial communities and nitrogen cycling in paddy soil. They found that polylactic acid microplastics significantly altered soil bacterial diversity and shifted community structure, while PET and PVC had less pronounced effects. The study suggests that different types of microplastics may influence soil health and nutrient cycling in distinct ways, which matters for agricultural sustainability.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 110 citations
Article Tier 2

Laboratory tidal microcosm deciphers responses of sediment archaeal and bacterial communities to microplastic exposure

Researchers used a laboratory tidal simulation to study how different types of microplastics affect microbial communities in intertidal sediments over 30 days. They found that biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid significantly shifted both archaeal and bacterial community structures, particularly at higher concentrations. The study suggests that even so-called biodegradable plastics can substantially alter the microbial ecosystems in coastal sediment environments.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic particles on carbon source metabolism and bacterial community in freshwater lake sediments

A microcosm experiment tested how four common plastic types affect carbon metabolism and bacterial communities in freshwater lake sediments, finding that microplastics disrupted microbial carbon cycling and altered community composition.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic polymer accumulation, distribution, and toxicity in sediment of a freshwater tidal marsh, USA

Researchers examined microplastic distribution and polymer composition in sediment cores from a freshwater tidal marsh in Pennsylvania, identifying over 4,500 microplastic particles across 29 polymer types. Polypropylene, polyurethane, and tire rubber were the most abundant polymers found. The study assessed toxicity risks of six common polymers and provides new data on microplastic contamination in an understudied freshwater wetland environment.

2025 Marine Pollution Bulletin 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Community Dynamics and Biogeochemical Cycling in Microplastic-Contaminated Sediment

This review summarizes current research on how microplastics alter microbial communities and nutrient cycling processes in sediments at the bottom of water bodies. Researchers found that the effects depend on the type of plastic, exposure duration, and the specific sediment environment, with biodegradable plastics causing the most significant changes. The study highlights that microplastics in sediments can reshape the microbial ecosystems that drive essential biogeochemical processes like carbon and nitrogen cycling.

2025 Nanomaterials 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics addition on sediment environmental properties, enzymatic activities and bacterial diversity

Researchers conducted a 60-day experiment to assess how adding different types of microplastics to river sediment affects its chemical properties, enzyme activity, and bacterial communities. They found that microplastics altered nutrient cycling, changed enzyme activity levels, and shifted the composition of sediment microbial communities. The study demonstrates that microplastic accumulation in sediments can disrupt the biological processes that maintain healthy aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Chemosphere 123 citations
Article Tier 2

Oxidative stress, biofilm-formation and activity responses of P. aeruginosa to microplastic-treated sediments: Effect of temperature and sediment type

Researchers studied how microplastic-contaminated sediments from beaches, deep-sea, and industrial marine areas affected the behavior of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, a bacterium that can cause serious infections in humans. Higher temperatures increased both bacterial activity and biofilm formation on microplastic-treated sediments, with the most pronounced effects seen in beach sediments. The findings suggest that as ocean temperatures rise due to climate change, microplastics could become even more effective at harboring harmful bacteria.

2024 Environmental Research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on cold seep sediment prokaryotic communities

Researchers studied how polyethylene, polystyrene, and polypropylene microplastics affect microbial communities in cold seep sediments over a 120-day incubation period. The study found that microplastics significantly altered bacterial community structure in a type- and concentration-dependent manner, with some bacteria associated with plastic degradation increasing, while archaeal communities were less affected.

2023 Environmental Pollution 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Can Microplastic Pollution Change Important Aquatic Bacterial Communities?

Microplastics in coastal sediments can change the composition of important bacterial communities that cycle nutrients and maintain ecosystem health. Microplastic-associated bacteria differ significantly from natural sediment bacteria, with potential consequences for the chemical processes these communities perform.

2021 Frontiers for Young Minds
Article Tier 2

Aging of Microplastics across a Constructed Wetland

Researchers studied the weathering and microbial colonization of five microplastic polymer types over 18 months within four habitat zones of a constructed wastewater wetland, finding that microorganisms colonized plastics rapidly and that weathering rates varied by polymer type and habitat.

2025 ACS ES&T Water 2 citations