Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of microbial inoculants combined with maize straw on physicochemical properties and microbial community structure in black soil during soybean growth

This paper is not about microplastics; it examines how combining microbial inoculants with maize straw as a soil amendment improves soybean yield and soil microbial diversity.

2023
Article Tier 2

Selection of Suitable Organic Amendments to Balance Agricultural Economic Benefits and Carbon Sequestration

Researchers evaluated organic soil amendments for balancing agricultural productivity with soil health, finding that amendment type and application rate affect nutrient cycling, microbial activity, and the potential for microplastic introduction via compost or sludge.

2024 Plants 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Unraveling the characteristics of microplastics in agricultural soils upon long-term organic fertilizer application: A comprehensive study using diversity indices

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils that had received organic fertilizers (pig manure, chicken manure, and sewage sludge compost) for 12 years. All three fertilizer types introduced significant microplastic pollution, with risk levels classified as high across all treatments. This study shows that organic fertilizers, often considered environmentally friendly, are a major pathway for microplastics to enter the soil and potentially the food we grow in it.

2024 Chemosphere 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic contamination of organic fertilisers applied to agricultural soils

This study examined microplastic contamination in organic fertilizers applied to agricultural soils, finding plastic particles in multiple fertilizer types. Organic fertilizers derived from sewage sludge or compost can introduce microplastics into farmland, potentially contaminating crops and groundwater.

2023 SPIRE - Sciences Po Institutional REpository
Article Tier 2

Quantification and identification of microplastics in organic fertilizers: the implication for the manufacture and safe application

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in 23 commercial organic fertilizers, finding widespread presence at levels that could meaningfully contribute to agricultural soil pollution when fertilizers are applied. The results raise concerns about organic fertilizers as an underappreciated pathway for microplastics entering farm soils and the food system.

2022 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigating plastic in organic fertilizers: A 2-year comparative study

A two-year field study compared how different types of organic fertilizers affected plastic content in agricultural soils, finding significant variation depending on the feedstock and processing method. The research informs best practices for minimizing plastic inputs to farmland through fertilizer choice.

2025 Chemosphere 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Research progress on the effects of different fertilizers on soil microorganisms

This review examines how different fertilizer types — chemical, organic, and compound — affect soil microbial communities, summarizing research on how fertilizer-induced changes in microbial diversity and function influence nutrient cycling and crop yield.

2025 BIO Web of Conferences
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

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
Article Tier 2

Microplastics identification and quantification in the composted Organic Fraction of Municipal Solid Waste

Researchers quantified microplastics in composted organic municipal solid waste from five facilities, finding contamination levels that raise concerns about compost quality and the potential transfer of microplastics to agricultural soils through organic waste recycling.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 125 citations
Article Tier 2

Living in the plastic age - Different short-term microbial response to microplastics addition to arable soils with contrasting soil organic matter content and farm management legacy

Adding polyethylene or polypropylene microplastics to two agricultural soils did not severely disrupt overall microbial activity or nitrogen cycling, but polypropylene reduced microbial biomass, especially in the organically managed soil. The results suggest that soil management history influences how resilient soil microbiomes are to microplastic contamination.

2020 Environmental Pollution 120 citations
Article Tier 2

Fertilization and Soil Microbial Community: A Review

This review examines how different types of chemical and organic fertilizers affect soil microbial community composition and function. Researchers found that organic fertilizers generally promote greater microbial diversity and activity compared to chemical fertilizers alone. While focused broadly on soil health, the findings are relevant to understanding how agricultural practices may influence the microbial degradation of environmental contaminants including microplastics.

2022 Applied Sciences 246 citations
Article Tier 2

Optimizing Microbial Composition in Soil Macroaggregates Enhances Nitrogen Supply Through Long-Term Straw Return

Despite its title referencing soil nitrogen and straw return, this paper studies how long-term agricultural straw incorporation affects microbial communities and nitrogen cycling within soil aggregates — not microplastic pollution. It examines bacterial and fungal biodiversity changes in soil over 13 years and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Agronomy 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Long-term application of organic compost is the primary contributor to microplastic pollution of soils in a wheat–maize rotation

Researchers found that 11 years of organic compost application was the primary contributor to microplastic accumulation in wheat-maize rotation soils, with pig and cow manure composts introducing significant quantities of microplastic particles into agricultural fields.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 82 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effect of Low-density Polyethylene Microplastics on Soybean-soil-microbial System].

A pot experiment explored how different concentrations of low-density polyethylene microplastics affect soybean plants, the soil they grow in, and the microbial communities in that soil. Higher microplastic concentrations inhibited soybean growth, reduced soil enzyme activity, and altered microbial diversity in ways that could impair soil fertility. As microplastic contamination of agricultural soils continues to grow, these findings suggest real risks to food crop productivity and soil ecosystem health.

2025 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Two Different Proportions of Microbial Formulations on Microbial Communities in Kitchen Waste Composting

Not relevant to microplastics — this composting study evaluates how different microbial inoculant formulations affect the maturity, odor emissions, and microbial communities during kitchen waste composting.

2023 Microorganisms 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the abundance and potential impacts of microplastic contamination in commercial organic fertilizers/compost produced from different solid waste

Researchers analyzed commercial organic fertilizers made from different waste sources and found microplastics in 80% of the samples, with compost from mixed municipal waste containing the highest levels. The estimated amounts of microplastics being introduced into agricultural soils through these fertilizers exceeded previous reports. The study highlights the need for stricter regulations on organic fertilizer quality to prevent microplastic contamination of farmland.

2024 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Parameters of labile organic carbon as the indicators of the stability of soil organic matter under different land use

Despite its title referencing soil organic carbon and land use, this paper studies chemical indicators of soil organic matter stability under different farming practices — not microplastic pollution. It examines which carbon fractions best signal how organic matter is protected in forest and agricultural soils, and is not relevant to microplastics or human health.

2025 Soil and Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Conservation Agriculture Practices on Tomato Yield and Economic Performance

This paper is not about microplastics; it is a field trial comparing organic farming practices and soil management strategies for processing tomato cultivation.

2023 Agronomy 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Moisture-Induced Effects on Lignocellulosic and Humification Fractions in Aerobically Composted Straw and Manure

Not relevant to microplastics — this study examines how different moisture levels affect the breakdown of straw and manure during composting, measuring changes in cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and humic acid content.

2023 Fermentation 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution and the related ecological risks of organic composts from different raw materials

Researchers analyzed microplastic contamination in 124 organic compost samples made from livestock manure, poultry waste, crop straw, and solid waste, finding that all types contained significant microplastic loads. Solid waste compost had the highest levels while crop straw compost had the lowest, and the particles showed signs of weathering and mineral attachment. The findings suggest that applying organic compost to farmland may be an underappreciated source of microplastic pollution entering agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 66 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect soybean rhizosphere microbial composition and function during vegetative and reproductive stages

Researchers conducted a 70-day greenhouse experiment to evaluate how four types of microplastics affect soybean rhizosphere bacterial communities in two soil types. The study found that polyamide microplastics consistently altered bacterial diversity and nitrogen cycling functions, while other plastic types had shorter-term effects, suggesting that different microplastics pose varying risks to agricultural soil microbial ecosystems.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 25 citations
Article Tier 2

From organic fertilizer to the soils: What happens to the microplastics? A critical review

This review traces how microplastics enter agricultural soil through organic fertilizers made from municipal waste, sewage sludge, and animal manure. During the composting process, the microplastics undergo physical and chemical changes that can make them better at absorbing other pollutants from the soil. The review highlights that applying organic fertilizer to farmland is a major but often overlooked pathway for microplastics to contaminate the food supply.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 54 citations
Article Tier 2

Occurrence and distribution of microplastics in organic fertilizers in China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in organic fertilizers across China, finding widespread plastic particles in compost, manure, and biosolids, identifying fertilizer application as an emerging pathway for microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 129 citations