Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Microplastics Can Inhibit Organic Carbon Mineralization by Influencing Soil Aggregate Distribution and Microbial Community Structure in Cultivated Soil: Evidence from a One-Year Pot Experiment

Researchers conducted a one-year pot experiment to study how different types and concentrations of microplastics affect soil carbon cycling and aggregate stability. They found that microplastics significantly altered soil aggregate size distribution and decreased organic carbon mineralization rates regardless of polymer type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination may slow the natural breakdown of organic carbon in agricultural soils by changing soil structure and microbial communities.

2024 Agronomy 18 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastic effects on soil system parameters: a meta-analysis study

Microplastics in soil did not significantly affect dissolved organic carbon, nutrient availability, microbial diversity, or crop biomass, but they did significantly increase soil microorganism abundance and decrease water-stable macro-aggregates, pointing to soil structure degradation as the primary concern.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of the oversized microplastic pollution layer on soil aggregates and organic carbon at different soil depths

Researchers examined how oversized microplastic pollution layers in soil affect aggregate stability and organic carbon at different depths, finding that plastic films disrupted soil aggregate formation and altered carbon distribution, with effects varying by soil depth and plastic concentration.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 46 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics trapped in soil aggregates of different land-use types: A case study of Loess Plateau terraces, China

Researchers measured microplastic abundance in soil aggregates from four land-use types on China's Loess Plateau, finding MPs trapped in aggregates across all land uses with farmland soils having the highest concentrations. Woodland soils had the lowest MP content and the most stable aggregate structure, suggesting land use substantially controls both MP accumulation and aggregate integrity.

2022 Environmental Pollution 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-driven reconfiguration of organic carbon fractions in lake sediments: mineralization and stabilization dynamics of biodegradable polymers

Microplastics in soil were found to alter the composition and distribution of organic carbon fractions, with implications for soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The study reveals that microplastic contamination can reshape the biogeochemical cycling of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems.

2025 Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects and mechanism of microplastics on organic carbon and nitrogen cycling in agricultural soil: A review

This review summarizes how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils affects carbon and nitrogen cycling by altering soil properties, microbial communities, and enzymatic activity. Evidence indicates that microplastics can change organic matter degradation rates and nutrient cycling processes, with implications for soil health and agricultural productivity.

2023 Soil Use and Management 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Characteristics and Driving Mechanism of Soil Organic Carbon Content in Farmland of Beijing Plain: Implication for the Fate of Engineered Polymers in Soil

This study examined how soil organic matter affects the transport of ions and particles in agricultural soils, relevant to understanding how microplastics interact with soil chemistry. Soil organic carbon content significantly influenced the mobility of contaminants through soil systems.

2019 Advances in Polymer Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Influence Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation Mediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

Researchers conducted a 450-day experiment to study how microplastics alter the transformation of dissolved organic matter within soil aggregates, a process critical for soil stability and fertility. They found that microplastics destabilized organic matter in larger soil clumps while increasing its chemical complexity in smaller ones, with biodegradable plastics having the strongest effects. These changes were driven by shifts in microbial communities, suggesting that microplastic pollution could fundamentally alter how carbon cycles through agricultural soils.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Disrupt Soil Aggregate Stability and Associated Nutrient Dynamics in Mulched Salt-Affected Agricultural Soils

Researchers investigated how microplastic accumulation affects soil aggregate stability and nutrient dynamics in salt-affected agricultural soils in northeastern China. They found that high microplastic abundance significantly disrupted soil structure, reducing large aggregates and creating nutrient imbalances, with the elevated salinity and low organic matter of these soils amplifying the damage. The study highlights the need for targeted strategies to mitigate microplastic contamination in salt-affected farmland where plastic mulch is heavily used.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 8 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundances of agricultural microplastics and their contribution to the soil organic carbon pool in plastic film mulching fields of Xinjiang, China

Researchers found that microplastics in plastic-mulched agricultural fields in Xinjiang, China contribute to the soil organic carbon pool, potentially causing overestimation of soil carbon sequestration when conventional measurement methods fail to separate microplastics from soil.

2023 Chemosphere 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics and mechanism of microplastics mediated by soil physicochemical properties

Five Chinese soils varied considerably in their capacity to adsorb polystyrene microplastics, with soil organic carbon content showing the strongest positive correlation and clay content showing a negative correlation. The results help predict how soil composition will determine the fate and mobility of microplastics in different agricultural and natural landscapes.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 177 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics shape microbial communities affecting soil organic matter decomposition in paddy soil

Researchers found that microplastics shape soil microbial communities in paddy soils in ways that affect organic matter decomposition, revealing how bacterial succession and carbon cycling are altered by microplastic presence in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 181 citations
Article Tier 2

Response of soil dissolved organic matter to microplastic addition in Chinese loess soil

Researchers added microplastics to loess soil at two concentrations and tracked dissolved organic matter over 30 days, finding that even moderate additions altered the rate of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus release, stimulated soil enzyme activity, and promoted accumulation of high-molecular-weight humic compounds — suggesting microplastic pollution reshapes soil nutrient cycling.

2017 Chemosphere 864 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

Biochar mitigates microplastic‐induced destabilization of soil organic carbon via molecular recalcitrance and microbial process regulation

Biochar amendments to soil were shown to offset the destabilizing effects that microplastics have on soil aggregate structure. The finding suggests that biochar could be a practical soil amendment to counteract microplastic-driven soil degradation in contaminated agricultural lands.

2025 Functional Ecology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics sequestered in the soil affect the turnover and stability of soil aggregates: A review

This review examines how microplastics trapped in soil affect the structure and stability of soil clumps (aggregates) that are essential for healthy farming. Microplastics create weak points in soil structure and alter its physical and chemical properties, which can reduce soil's ability to hold water and support plant growth. Since healthy soil aggregates are the foundation of productive farmland, microplastic contamination could threaten food production over the long term.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 48 citations
Article Tier 2

Abundance and characteristics of microplastics in soils with different agricultural practices: Importance of sources with internal origin and environmental fate

Microplastic abundance and characteristics were examined in soils representing four agricultural practice types in Chinese farmland to evaluate the influence of land use on plastic particle accumulation. Microplastic concentrations and polymer types varied by agricultural practice, with plastic mulch film use and irrigation water source as key drivers of farmland soil contamination.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 282 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil carbon cycling mediated by microplastics: Formation, mineralization, and sequestration

This review examines how microplastic pollution affects soil organic carbon cycling, covering direct participation in carbon processes and indirect effects on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities. The authors synthesize mechanisms by which microplastics influence organic carbon formation, mineralization, and sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems.

2024 Scientia Sinica Technologica 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics DisruptSoil Aggregate Stability andAssociated Nutrient Dynamics in Mulched Salt-Affected AgriculturalSoils

Researchers investigated how microplastic accumulation and aging affects soil aggregate stability and nutrient dynamics in mulched salt-affected agricultural soils, finding that microplastics disrupt aggregate structure and interfere with nutrient storage and cycling processes critical to soil quality.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics DisruptSoil Aggregate Stability andAssociated Nutrient Dynamics in Mulched Salt-Affected AgriculturalSoils

Researchers investigated how microplastic accumulation and aging affects soil aggregate stability and nutrient dynamics in mulched salt-affected agricultural soils, finding that microplastics disrupt aggregate structure and interfere with nutrient storage and cycling processes critical to soil quality.

2025 Figshare