Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics on bacterial community and PAHs natural attenuation in agricultural soils

Researchers found that biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics differently affect soil bacterial communities and the natural attenuation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in agricultural soils, with biodegradable plastics sometimes enhancing microbial activity while conventional plastics inhibited PAH degradation.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Close encounters on a micro scale: microplastic sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and their potential effects on associated biofilm communities

Researchers investigated the sorption of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) onto microplastics and the potential cascading effects on biofilm communities associated with those microplastics in aquatic environments. They found that evaluating microplastics in isolation underestimates their ecological impact, as co-transported PAHs can alter the composition and function of biofilm communities across different compartments of aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Environmental Microbiome
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic sorption on microbial degradation of halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in water

Researchers investigated how microplastics act as carriers for halogenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (HPAHs) in water and whether this sorption affects microbial degradation of these dioxin-like compounds. They found that microplastic-sorbed HPAHs had reduced bioavailability to degrading bacteria, potentially slowing natural breakdown of these toxic pollutants.

2022 Environmental Pollution 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined Effects of Microplastics and Biochar on the Removal of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons and Phthalate Esters and Its Potential Microbial Ecological Mechanism

Researchers investigated the combined effects of microplastics and biochar on the removal of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and phthalate esters from contaminated soil, finding that the combination altered microbial community structure and contaminant fate differently than either amendment alone.

2021 Frontiers in Microbiology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the interplay between microplastics, polyciclic aromatic hidrocarbons and biofilms in freshwater

Researchers explored how microplastics interact with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in freshwater, and how both pollutants together form biofilms. The study found that microplastics can act as concentration surfaces for PAHs, potentially amplifying toxic exposure in organisms that ingest plastic particles.

2019 Scientific Repository of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge)
Article Tier 2

Microplastics, PAHs and biofilms in freshwater

Researchers tested how five common plastic types adsorb polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in freshwater and serve as surfaces for microbial biofilm growth. All five plastics were able to bind PAHs and support biofilms, suggesting microplastics can concentrate toxic compounds and harbor bacteria in freshwater environments.

2019 Scientific Repository of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge)
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

Evaluation of Polyciclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Water and Microplastics

Researchers measured five cancer-linked PAH compounds in water samples and found that microplastics can bind these chemicals, potentially concentrating them. This suggests microplastics may act as carriers of carcinogenic compounds in drinking water and aquatic environments.

2021 Scientific Repository of the National Health Institute Doutor Ricardo Jorge (Instituto Nacional de Saúde Doutor Ricardo Jorge)
Article Tier 2

[Effect of Low-density Polyethylene Microplastics on Natural Attenuation of Oxygenated Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons in Soil].

Researchers investigated how low-density polyethylene microplastics at 1% and 0.01% soil concentrations affect the natural attenuation of oxygenated polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in soil microcosms, finding that LDPE inhibited OPAH dissipation at day 14 and that the degree of inhibition increased with higher LDPE proportions, while also altering the bacterial communities responsible for OPAH degradation.

2024 PubMed
Article Tier 2

Comparison of microbial colonization between natural and plastic substrata in a polluted watershed

Researchers compared microbial colonization of biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics with natural substrata (leaves, sediment, rocks) in an urbanized watershed, finding that microbial density and enzymatic activity were generally higher on natural substrata and that plastic contamination level at each site influenced community composition.

2023 FEMS Microbiology Ecology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Vertical transport behavior of soil polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) microplastic-mediated based on column leaching experiment

A soil column experiment showed that microplastics reduce how much polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) pollution leaches downward through soil by 8–20%, effectively trapping these carcinogenic compounds closer to the surface; however, alkaline conditions reversed this effect, causing elevated PAH leaching. This matters because microplastic-contaminated agricultural soils often also carry PAHs, and the interaction between the two pollutants could affect both groundwater contamination risk and the bioavailability of PAHs to crops.

2026
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Soil-Dwelling Bacterial Community Changes Induced by Microplastic Ex posure Using Amplicon Sequencing

Researchers analyzed soil bacterial community composition after microplastic contamination, finding that different polymer types caused distinct shifts in microbial diversity and functional groups, with implications for soil nutrient cycling and agricultural productivity.

2025 Korean Science Education Society for the Gifted
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

Effects of microplastics on the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments of a freshwater lake

Researchers examined how microplastics alter the structure and function of bacterial communities in sediments, finding that plastic exposure shifted community composition and reduced overall diversity compared to plastic-free controls. Functional analysis showed impaired denitrification and organic matter decomposition in microplastic-contaminated sediments, indicating ecosystem-level consequences for nutrient cycling.

2024 Chemosphere 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics alter soil microbial community assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations affect soil microbial communities and overall ecosystem function in a maize growing system. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics shifted microbial community composition, reduced beneficial bacteria involved in nutrient cycling, and impaired multiple soil ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can undermine the biological processes that support healthy crop growth.

2023 Environment International 114 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene Microplastic Particles Alter the Nature, Bacterial Community and Metabolite Profile of Reed Rhizosphere Soils

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastic particles alter the bacterial community composition, soil environmental factors, and metabolite profiles of reed rhizosphere soils, with effects increasing at higher microplastic concentrations and showing distinct interactions with reed biomass.

2023 Water 14 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
Systematic Review Tier 1

Microbes and Microbial Strategies in Carcinogenic Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons Remediation: A Systematic Review

This systematic review catalogued microbial strategies for remediating carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from the environment, including enzymatic degradation, biofilm formation, and genetically engineered microorganisms. The research is relevant to microplastics because PAHs frequently adsorb onto microplastic surfaces, and microbial degradation of both the plastics and their associated pollutants is an active area of investigation.

2023 Research Square (Research Square) 1 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

Evaluating the effect of different modified microplastics on the availability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons

Researchers investigated how weathering processes alter the ability of polyethylene microplastics to affect the bioavailability of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, finding that etching and UV aging increased surface oxygen groups, specific surface area, and pore volume. Free PAH concentrations decreased with increasing microplastic concentration for most hydrophobic PAHs, and UV aging only slightly altered sorption coefficients compared to pristine microplastics.

2019 Water Research 115 citations