Papers

61,005 results
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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

Microplastics affect organic nitrogen in sediment: The response of organic nitrogen mineralization to microbes and benthic animals

Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics affect organic nitrogen cycling in sediments, measuring the responses of key nitrogen-transforming microorganisms. They found microplastics alter the composition of organic nitrogen and suppress certain nitrogen cycling processes.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on inorganic nitrogen dynamics in surface water sediments under different disturbance intensities

Laboratory experiments showed that microplastics in sediments alter nitrogen cycling in freshwater systems in ways that depend strongly on concentration: low levels boosted ammonium release, while high levels suppressed it and amplified nitrate consumption. These disruptions to the nitrogen cycle could affect water quality and aquatic productivity, especially in systems that are frequently disturbed by dredging or flooding.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics interfere with the nutrient cycle in water-plant-sediment systems

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect nutrient cycling in freshwater systems containing submerged plants and sediment. They found that the microplastics significantly reduced nitrogen and carbon content in plant leaves and disrupted the microbial communities in sediment responsible for nutrient processing. The study demonstrates that microplastic pollution can interfere with fundamental biogeochemical cycles that maintain the health of aquatic ecosystems.

2022 Water Research 122 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in sediment of freshwater systems

Researchers found that PET microplastics of different sizes significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in freshwater sediments, with smaller particles (5 micrometers) notably increasing methane emissions and altering nutrient cycling over 90 days.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigations on microplastic infiltration within natural riverbed sediments

Researchers used laboratory flume experiments to investigate how sediment grain size affects the infiltration of four types of microplastics (PET spheres, PET ellipsoids, polystyrene fragments, and polyamide fibers) into riverbed sediments. Sediment particle size, microplastic shape, and density were key factors controlling how deeply microplastics penetrate into the hyporheic zone.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Size dependent impacts of a model microplastic on nitrification induced by interaction with nitrifying bacteria

Researchers found that smaller 50 nm polystyrene particles had a greater inhibitory impact on nitrification than larger 500 nm particles, reducing nitrite utilization rates and disrupting nitrogen cycling more severely. The size-dependent effect suggests nanoplastics pose greater risks to aquatic nitrogen processing than microplastics.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of polyethylene microplastics on the nitrogen removal and bacterial community in sequencing batch reactor at different hydraulic retention times

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal performance in biological wastewater treatment at different hydraulic retention times. The study found that the presence of microplastics amplified the negative effects of shortened treatment times on nitrogen removal efficiency and altered bacterial communities and enzyme levels involved in nitrification and denitrification, offering new insights into how microplastics interfere with wastewater treatment processes.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 7 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

Microplastics Affect Sediment Phosphorus Transformation: Based on the Interplay of Bioturbation and Microbial Regulation

This study investigated how microplastics (polypropylene, polystyrene, and polylactic acid) affect phosphorus cycling in river sediments, finding that MP contamination altered the distribution of phosphorus fractions and that bioturbation by benthic animals changed how MPs interacted with nutrient transformation processes.

2025 Ecosystem Health and Sustainability
Article Tier 2

Size dependent effects of nanoplastics and microplastics on the nitrogen cycle of microbial flocs

Researchers found that nano- and microplastics reduce the nitrogen cycling capacity of microbial flocs used in aquaculture, with smaller nanoplastics causing greater disruption than larger microplastics in a size-dependent toxicity pattern.

2023 Chemosphere 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Insight into effect of polyethylene microplastic on nitrogen removal in moving bed biofilm reactor: Focusing on microbial community and species interactions

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal in wastewater treatment bioreactors and found that low concentrations slightly improved the process, while higher concentrations disrupted it. The microplastics changed the microbial communities responsible for breaking down nitrogen in wastewater. This matters because less effective wastewater treatment means more nitrogen pollution in waterways, and microplastics entering treatment plants could reduce their ability to clean water effectively.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 17 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

Impact of aged and virgin microplastics on sedimentary nitrogen cycling and microbial ecosystems in estuaries

Researchers compared how weathered versus new microplastics affect nitrogen cycling in estuary sediments and found that aged microplastics had a faster, more significant impact on key processes like denitrification. Weathered polystyrene particles also increased nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. The study suggests that the environmental risks of microplastics grow as they age and weather in natural settings.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 47 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling microplastic's role in nitrogen cycling: Metagenomic insights from estuarine sediment microcosms

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to examine how polyethylene and polystyrene microplastics affect nitrogen cycling in estuarine sediments. They found that microplastics altered the abundance of genes involved in key nitrogen transformation processes like nitrification and denitrification. The study reveals that microplastic pollution in estuaries may disrupt important biogeochemical cycles that support aquatic ecosystem health.

2024 Environmental Pollution 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of microplastics on nutrients and metal concentrations in river sediments

Researchers investigated how microplastics influence nutrient and metal concentrations in river sediments, finding that microplastics alter the distribution of pollutants through their capacity to adsorb contaminants and support biofilm formation on their hydrophobic surfaces.

2020 Environmental Pollution 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in granular sequencing batch reactors: Effects on pollutant removal dynamics and the microbial community

Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics affect pollutant removal in granular sludge wastewater treatment reactors. They found that microplastic type and concentration influenced nitrogen, phosphorus, and organic compound removal rates, with PET particles showing a stronger tendency to accumulate within the biomass. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in wastewater treatment systems may compromise treatment efficiency and alter microbial community dynamics.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on ecosystem functioning: Microbial nitrogen removal mediated by benthic invertebrates

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect nitrogen removal in freshwater sediments where chironomid larvae and microorganisms coexist. They found that while microplastics and larvae each individually promoted nitrogen removal by boosting denitrifying bacteria, combining them together produced less benefit than expected. The study suggests that rising microplastic concentrations may disrupt the natural nitrogen cycling that benthic invertebrates help maintain in freshwater ecosystems.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 139 citations
Article Tier 2

Assessing the Behavior of Microplastics in Fluvial Systems: Infiltration and Retention Dynamics in Streambed Sediments

Scientists used laboratory river-bed simulations to study how microplastics move from surface water down into streambed sediments. Smaller particles (1 micrometer) penetrated deeper into the sediment than larger ones, and higher water flow pushed more particles downward. This research helps explain how microplastics accumulate in river beds, which serve as both drinking water sources and habitats for aquatic organisms.

2024 Water Resources Research 29 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

Influence of sediment size on microplastic fragmentation

Researchers examined how sediment grain size influences the physical fragmentation of microplastics in river environments, where the mechanical controls on microplastic storage, remobilization, and transfer pathways remain poorly understood. The study found that sediment size plays a meaningful role in breaking down plastic particles, contributing to the generation of smaller microplastic fragments in fluvial systems.

2025
Article Tier 2

Short-term effects of polyethene and polypropylene microplastics on soil phosphorus and nitrogen availability

Researchers examined the short-term effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on soil nutrient cycling, finding that these particles can alter the availability of phosphorus and nitrogen depending on microplastic size and fertilization conditions.

2021 Chemosphere 139 citations
Article Tier 2

Nitrogen removal performance of bioretention cells under polyethylene (PE) microplastic stress

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the nitrogen removal performance of bioretention cells used to filter stormwater runoff. The study found that microplastic accumulation reduced overall nitrogen removal efficiency by up to 28% while altering the microbial community structure responsible for denitrification.

2023 Environmental Pollution 13 citations
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