Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Subsurface transport and environmental risks of microplastic pollution: influence of land use and seasonal variability

Researchers systematically investigated how microplastics move vertically through soil across five different land use types during pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. Dumpsites had the highest microplastic concentrations at nearly 40,000 particles per kilogram, while woodlands had the lowest at around 500 particles per kilogram. The study found that smaller microplastics traveled deeper into soil, especially after monsoon rains, and that land use type significantly influenced both the amount and composition of microplastic contamination.

2025 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution in terrestrial environment: Identification, characterization, and risk assessment in Indore, Central India

Researchers measured microplastic contamination in soil from agricultural and recreational areas in Indore, India. Recreational sites had about six times more microplastic particles than farmland, with most particles made of common plastics like PET and polypropylene. While the ecological risk was rated low for now, the long-term buildup of these particles in soil could eventually pose threats to crops and the food chain.

2024 Soil Use and Management 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Spatial Risks ofMicroplastics in Soils and the CascadingEffects Thereof

This review mapped the spatial risks of microplastic contamination in global soils, examining how climate, land use, and human activities distribute MP pollution and analyzing cascading effects on soil ecology, carbon cycling, and ecosystem services.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Characterization of Microplastics and Associated Heavy Metals in Urban Soils Affected by Anthropogenic Littering: Distribution, Spatial Variation, and Influence of Soil Properties

Researchers sampled soils across residential, commercial, and industrial land-use types in urban areas and found microplastics in every location, with polypropylene, polyethylene, and polyamide as the dominant polymer types, at concentrations up to 850,000 particles per kilogram. Heavy metals were also associated with the plastic particles, meaning microplastics in urban soil may serve as combined carriers of chemical toxicants. The findings highlight urban soil as a major but underappreciated reservoir of microplastic pollution.

2023 Soil and Sediment Contamination An International Journal 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of land-use patterns on soil microplastics: Distribution characteristics and driving factors in southern China’s Pearl River Delta

A study across different land-use types in China's Pearl River Delta found that agricultural land had higher soil microplastic concentrations than urban or forested areas, with land-use history and plastic mulch film use as the dominant factors controlling MP distribution and polymer composition.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of land use on the distribution of soil microplastics in the Lihe River watershed, China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across five different land use types in a Chinese river watershed. They found that urban soils had the highest microplastic levels, followed by agricultural areas, with woodland having the lowest, and that population density strongly correlated with microplastic diversity. The study suggests that human activity intensity and plastic waste disposal are the main drivers of soil microplastic pollution at the watershed scale.

2023 Chemosphere 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Macro and microplastics in the soil: abundance, characterization, identification, and interactions under different land uses in an agricultural sub-basin

Researchers examined the abundance, characterization, identification, and interactions of macro- and microplastics in soils under different land uses within an agricultural sub-basin, assessing how land-use patterns influence plastic pollution distribution and potential interactions with the soil environment.

2025 LA Referencia (Red Federada de Repositorios Institucionales de Publicaciones Científicas)
Article Tier 2

Assessment of Soil Microplastics and Their Relation to Soil and Terrain Attributes Under Different Land Uses

Researchers assessed microplastic contamination in tropical soils under different land uses including forest, grassland, and agricultural areas. They found that agricultural soils had the highest microplastic concentrations, likely due to the use of plastic-based materials in farming. The study reveals how land use practices and soil characteristics influence the distribution and accumulation of microplastics in tropical environments.

2025 AgriEngineering 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil the silent sink: unveiling microplastics contamination across different land-use types in Delhi, India

A survey across five land-use categories in Delhi, India found that industrial zones had the highest microplastic concentrations in soil (over 105 particles per 100 g), followed by high-traffic and agricultural areas, while forest soils had the lowest. Polyethylene, polystyrene, and PET were the dominant polymer types. The findings highlight urban and industrial areas as major sources of soil microplastic contamination in one of the world's most polluted megacities.

2026 Environmental Monitoring and Assessment
Article Tier 2

Identification, characterization, and implications of microplastics in soil – A case study of Bhopal, central India

Researchers identified and characterized microplastics in soils from Bhopal, central India, documenting their occurrence, distribution, and polymer composition to assess the extent of soil contamination from poor plastic waste management practices.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances 97 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of soil properties and land use patterns on the distribution of microplastics: A case study in southwest China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in soils across different land use types in Guizhou Province, southwest China. The study found that soil properties and land use patterns significantly influence microplastic abundance and distribution, with agricultural and urban soils generally showing higher contamination levels than less intensively managed areas.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 35 citations
Article Tier 2

Examining Soil Microplastics: Prevalence and Consequences Across Varied Land Use Contexts

Scientists examined microplastic contamination in soil samples from different land use areas in Makassar City, Indonesia. They found microplastics present across all sites, with the types and concentrations varying based on how the land was used, whether for agriculture, residential, or commercial purposes. The study suggests that human activity patterns strongly influence the amount and kind of microplastic pollution found in urban and agricultural soils.

2024 Civil Engineering Journal 26 citations
Article Tier 2

A review of microplastics in soil: Occurrence, analytical methods, combined contamination and risks

This review provides a comprehensive overview of microplastic pollution in soil ecosystems, covering sources, detection methods, and ecological impacts. Researchers found that soils are major reservoirs for microplastics, and the study highlights how combined contamination with other pollutants like heavy metals and pesticides may amplify risks to soil organisms and food safety.

2022 Environmental Pollution 75 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in Urban Soils From Different Land Use Activities of Cyberjaya (Malaysia): Exploring Occurrence, Relationships, Sources and Pollution Level

Researchers surveyed urban soils across five different land uses in Cyberjaya, Malaysia, and found microplastics in all of them, with construction areas showing the highest concentrations. The types of plastic particles varied by location, suggesting that the sources and characteristics of soil microplastic contamination depend on what activities take place in that area.

2024 Land Degradation and Development 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics occurrence and frequency in soils under different land uses on a regional scale

A regional-scale survey measured microplastic occurrence in soils under different land uses (agricultural, urban, natural), finding that concentrations varied by land use type and that real-world field concentrations were often lower than those used in laboratory ecotoxicology studies.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 304 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying, and assessing the impact of, microplastics in terrestrial samples

Researchers developed methodologies to quantify microplastics (1 to 1000 micrometers) in terrestrial woodland environments, addressing the significant knowledge gap about microplastic concentrations and ecological impacts in soil ecosystems compared to the more extensively studied aquatic compartments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Distribution pattern and risk assessment of microplastics contamination in different agricultural systems

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination in agricultural soils across six sites in Coimbatore, India with distinct farming practices, finding microplastics in 81% of organic matter-removed samples. The study revealed that different agronomic inputs and land management practices produce distinct microplastic contamination profiles.

2024 International Journal of Environmental & Analytical Chemistry 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Pollution in Residential Soils

Researchers collected surface soil from three residential density zones in Surabaya, Indonesia, and characterized microplastics by abundance, shape, color, and polymer type. Microplastics were present in all samples, with concentrations higher in denser residential areas, likely reflecting greater per-capita plastic use and outdoor plastic degradation.

2025 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH AND ANALYSIS
Article Tier 2

Plastic particles in soil: state of the knowledge on sources, occurrence and distribution, analytical methods and ecological impacts

This comprehensive review of plastic particles in soil covered sources, occurrence, analytical detection methods, and ecological impacts, identifying gaps in knowledge about terrestrial plastic fate and effects compared to the more extensively studied marine environment.

2021 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 121 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-occurrence of macroplastics, microplastics, and legacy and emerging plasticisers in UK soils

Researchers documented the co-occurrence of macroplastics, microplastics, and both legacy and emerging plasticizers in UK soils across various land uses, establishing empirical links between plastic debris and chemical plasticizer contamination in terrestrial environments.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmental fate and impacts of microplastics in soil ecosystems: Progress and perspective

This review summarized knowledge on microplastics in soil environments, covering occurrence across agricultural, industrial, and urban soils, transport pathways, and ecological risks to soil organisms and plant communities. The authors identify key data gaps and methodological challenges that currently limit understanding of microplastic fate and impact in terrestrial systems.

2019 The Science of The Total Environment 509 citations
Article Tier 2

A global review on the abundance and threats of microplastics in soils to terrestrial ecosystem and human health

This review examines microplastic pollution levels across agricultural, roadside, urban, and landfill soils worldwide, finding wide variation but consistent contamination. Microplastics alter soil pH, density, and water movement, disrupt microbial communities, inhibit plant growth, and affect soil animals. For humans, the concern is that microplastics in soil can enter the food chain through crops and contaminated water.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil microplastic pollution under different land uses in tropics, southwestern China

Soil microplastic pollution was compared across four land use types in tropical southwestern China -- primary and secondary forests, rubber plantations, and banana plantations -- finding that agricultural land uses had higher microplastic abundance than natural forest soils.

2021 Chemosphere 88 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics abundance associated with farmland use types and the impact on soil microbial communities: A case study in Southern China

Researchers surveyed microplastic contamination across orchard, paddy field, and vegetable field soils in Southern China and analyzed how it affected soil microbial communities. They found microplastic levels ranging widely across sites, with very small particles under 30 micrometers being most common, and identified 32 different polymer types. The study shows that farmland use type and agricultural practices like plastic mulching significantly influence both the amount and type of microplastic contamination in soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations