Papers

20 results
|
Article Tier 2

Plasticizers determine a deeper reshape of soil virome than microplastics

Researchers compared how microplastics and the common plasticizer diethyl phthalate independently affect soil viral communities, finding that the plasticizer caused a much more dramatic shift in viral diversity than the plastic particles themselves. Diethyl phthalate exposure led to a three-fold increase in viral genetic material and triggered widespread activation of dormant viruses within soil bacteria. The findings suggest that the chemical additives leaching from plastics may pose a greater threat to soil ecosystems than the physical plastic particles.

2025 Chemical Engineering Journal 3 citations
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 soil microbiome: The impacts of polymer type, shape, and concentration

Researchers examined how different microplastic polymer types, shapes, and concentrations affected soil bacterial communities, finding that these physical characteristics induced distinct shifts in soil microbiome composition and diversity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Supplementary information forSoil microplastics pollution can reduce viral abundance and have less consistent impacts on bacteria

Researchers found that soil microplastic pollution can reduce viral abundance in soil and have inconsistent effects on soil microbial communities, with the supporting data documenting experimental measurements of viral density and microbial diversity across soils with varying levels of MP contamination.

2025 Figshare
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

Supplementary information forSoil microplastics pollution can reduce viral abundance and have less consistent impacts on bacteria

Researchers provided supplementary data supporting findings that soil microplastic pollution reduces viral abundance and has less consistent effects on broader microbial communities, presenting detailed measurements from controlled soil experiments with different MP concentrations and polymer types.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics increase soil microbial network complexity and trigger diversity-driven community assembly

Researchers found that microplastics in soil increased bacterial network complexity and shifted microbial community assembly in a diversity-dependent manner, with high-density polyethylene causing more harm to plant growth than polystyrene or polylactic acid particles.

2023 Environmental Pollution 49 citations
Article Tier 2

The bridging role of soil organic carbon in regulating bacterial community by microplastic pollution: Evidence from different microplastic additions

This study tested how three common microplastics -- polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC -- affect soil health when present at realistic concentrations. All three types changed the soil's chemistry and shifted the balance of bacterial communities, which matters because these same soil changes can affect the crops we grow and the food chain that ultimately impacts human health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Time-dependent effects of microplastics on soil bacteriome

Researchers studied how six common types of microplastics affect soil bacteria over time at realistic contamination levels. The effects were slow to appear due to the chemical stability of plastics, but over time, microplastics altered bacterial community structure and soil functions in ways that differed by plastic type. This matters because changes to soil bacteria can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on food quality.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 87 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil viral–host interactions regulate microplastic-dependent carbon storage

Researchers discovered that microplastics in soil affect carbon storage by changing how viruses and bacteria interact underground. Non-biodegradable microplastics reduced soil carbon by over 17%, while biodegradable ones slightly increased it, through different effects on microbial communities. This matters for human health because soil carbon cycling influences agricultural productivity and the broader climate system.

2024 Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 60 citations
Article Tier 2

The effect of polyvinyl chloride microplastics on soil properties, greenhouse gas emission, and element cycling-related genes: Roles of soil bacterial communities and correlation analysis

Researchers investigated how PVC microplastics of different shapes and concentrations affect soil properties, greenhouse gas emissions, and nutrient cycling. They found that microplastic particles significantly increased carbon dioxide emissions and altered bacterial communities involved in element cycling. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils could disrupt important environmental processes including carbon and nitrogen cycling.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect soil bacterial community assembly more by their shapes rather than the concentrations

Researchers conducted a two-year field study examining how different shapes of polyethylene microplastics affect soil bacterial communities and found that shape matters more than concentration. Fiber and fragment-shaped microplastics caused the most significant changes in bacterial diversity and community structure compared to spherical or powder forms. The findings challenge the common assumption that microplastic concentration is the primary factor driving ecological impacts in soil.

2023 Water Research 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbial Isolates in Microplastic-Polluted Soil

Researchers isolated and characterized microbial communities from microplastic-polluted soil, identifying bacteria capable of colonizing plastic surfaces and assessing their potential roles in plastic degradation and soil nutrient cycling.

2024 African Journal of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Research
Article Tier 2

Independent and combined effects of microplastics pollution and drought on soil bacterial community

Researchers studied how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics, combined with drought conditions, affect soil bacteria. Very small (20 micrometer) biodegradable PLA microplastics significantly reduced bacterial diversity by over 17%, while conventional polyethylene had less impact. The results suggest that the combined stress of microplastic pollution and drought could meaningfully alter soil microbial communities that are essential for healthy ecosystems and agriculture.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil microbial community parameters affected by microplastics and other plastic residues

Researchers conducted a meta-analysis examining how plastic residues, including microplastics, affect soil microbial communities. The study found that plastics accelerated soil organic carbon loss and reduced microbial biomass overall, with effects varying by polymer type: polyethylene decreased microbial richness while polypropylene increased it, and the impact on microbial activity followed a dose-response pattern with a turning point around 40 grams per kilogram of soil.

2023 Frontiers in Microbiology 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactive effects of drought and microplastic particle size on soil bacterial community structure

Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in soil become more harmful to the beneficial bacteria that keep soil healthy when combined with drought conditions. The smallest plastic particles caused the most damage, reducing the diversity of helpful soil bacteria by up to 29% during dry conditions. This matters because healthy soil bacteria are essential for growing nutritious food, and climate change is making both plastic pollution and droughts more common worldwide.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
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

Microplastic particles alter wheat rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and function

Researchers found that microplastic particles altered wheat rhizosphere soil microbial community composition and function, with different polymer types inducing distinct shifts in bacterial diversity and nutrient cycling processes.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 139 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics negatively affect soil fauna but stimulate microbial activity: insights from a field-based microplastic addition experiment

A meta-analysis of microplastic studies found that microplastics negatively affect soil fauna abundance and diversity while stimulating soil microbial activity, based on data from multiple laboratory experiments. The opposing effects on fauna and microbes suggest that microplastics can shift soil community structure in ways that alter ecosystem functions like decomposition and nutrient cycling.

2020 Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 196 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