Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Effect of Polypropylene Microplastic on Soil Water Characteristic Curve

Researchers experimentally measured the effect of polypropylene microplastics of varying sizes and concentrations on the soil water characteristic curve of silty sand, finding that microplastic addition alters soil pore structure in ways that modify water retention and drainage behavior with implications for agricultural productivity.

2025
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the hydraulic properties and pore characteristics of compacted soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the hydraulic properties and pore structure of compacted soil, finding that higher microplastic concentrations disrupted pore size distribution and reduced saturated hydraulic conductivity while altering water retention capacity.

2025 Soil and Tillage Research 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil texture is an important factor determining how microplastics affect soil hydraulic characteristics

This study tested how polypropylene microplastics of different sizes affect how water moves through three types of soil. Adding microplastics reduced the soil's ability to absorb and hold water by up to 96%, with clay soils being the most affected. These changes to soil water flow could affect crop growth and potentially increase the movement of other pollutants through contaminated farmland.

2022 Environment International 266 citations
Article Tier 2

The influence of microplastics on the dry end of the soil-water retention curve

Researchers measured how adding microplastics to soil affects the soil-water retention curve beyond the wilting point — the level at which plants can no longer extract water. Different microplastic types affected water retention differently depending on their surface properties and shape. These changes in soil water dynamics could affect plant available water and agricultural productivity in microplastic-contaminated soils.

2023
Article Tier 2

The effect of microplastics on the variability of functional parameters of available water in loessial soils

Researchers examined how different weights of microplastics affect water holding capacity and other functional water parameters in loessial soils of varying textures, finding that soil microplastic content alters water availability in ways relevant to sustainable soil ecosystem management.

2025 IOP Conference Series Earth and Environmental Science
Article Tier 2

Can Microplastic Pollution Change Soil-Water Dynamics? Results from Controlled Laboratory Experiments

Researchers conducted controlled laboratory experiments examining how microplastic shape and concentration affect soil water-holding capacity and evaporation in fine sand, finding through statistical and non-parametric analyses that microplastic pollution at environmentally relevant concentrations significantly altered both hydrological parameters.

2022 Water 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Concentration‐ and Size‐Dependent Influences of Microplastics on Soil Hydraulic Properties and Water Flow

Researchers investigated how microplastic concentration and particle size affect soil hydraulic properties and water flow. They found that microplastic contamination reduced saturated conductivity by up to 50% and inhibited water infiltration, with higher concentrations and larger particle sizes leading to weaker soil water-holding capacity.

2025 European Journal of Soil Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil texture governs the influence of different microplastics on soil hydraulic properties

This study tested how different types of microplastics affect soil hydraulic properties across varying soil textures, finding that soil texture strongly governs the magnitude of MP impacts on water retention and hydraulic conductivity, with fine-textured soils showing different responses than coarse-textured ones.

2025 Vadose Zone Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics effects on wettability, pore sizes and saturated hydraulic conductivity of a loess topsoil

Researchers tested how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene microplastics at concentrations already found in farmland soils affect key physical properties of agricultural soil. They found that adding microplastics reduced the soil's ability to conduct water and hold moisture, with larger particles at higher concentrations causing the greatest changes. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils could alter water movement and availability in ways that may affect crop growth.

2023 Geoderma 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential impacts of microplastic pollution on soil–water–plant dynamics

Researchers tested how different shapes and sizes of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microplastics affect a soil's ability to hold water, finding that fragment-shaped microplastics increased water retention by up to 36% — a significant change that could alter water availability for crops and affect agricultural planning in contaminated soils.

2025 Scientific Reports 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Saturated hydraulic conductivity in microplastics incorporated soils: Effects of soil texture, polymer type, particle size, and concentration

Researchers measured saturated hydraulic conductivity in loam and sandy loam soils amended with PET, PVC, and PE microplastics of two size classes, finding that PET particles in sandy loam produced the highest conductivity values and that polymer hydrophobicity and particle size both influence soil water flow.

2025 Discover Polymers.
Article Tier 2

Interactions between water flow and microplastics in silt loam and loamy sand

Researchers found that increasing microplastic content (1-7% w/w) in both silt loam and loamy sand soils enhanced water infiltration rates, driving microplastic particles deeper into the soil profile. The study reveals a feedback mechanism where microplastics alter the very water flow patterns responsible for their own transport and distribution.

2021 Soil Science Society of America Journal 43 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic induces soil water repellency and limits capillary flow

Laboratory experiments showed that microplastics mixed with sandy soil induced water repellency and reduced capillary water flow, with the magnitude of the effect depending on MP content and the relative sizes of MP and soil particles. The findings suggest that microplastic accumulation in soil can impair water infiltration and potentially disrupt plant-available water in agricultural soils.

2022 Vadose Zone Journal 45 citations
Article Tier 2

Water retention and hydraulic properties of a natural soil subjected to microplastic contaminations and leachate exposures

Researchers studied how microplastic contamination affects the water-holding and flow properties of compacted soil, a scenario relevant to engineering applications like landfill liners. They found that microplastics altered the soil's ability to retain water and changed both saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, with effects varying by particle size and leachate age. The study suggests that microplastic-contaminated soils may behave differently than expected in engineered structures.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

How Do Microplastics Affect Physical Properties of Silt Loam Soil under Wetting–Drying Cycles?

Researchers investigated how microplastics of different sizes and types affect the physical properties of silt loam soil under repeated wetting and drying cycles. The study found that microplastics altered soil water retention and structural stability during these cycles, with effects varying based on particle size and polymer type, indicating that microplastic contamination could influence agricultural soil behavior.

2023 Agronomy 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Soil Health: Soil-Water Retention, Shrinkage and Holding Properties

A review of research on microplastics in soil found that plastic particles can alter water retention, shrinkage, and structural properties in ways that could reduce agricultural productivity. Because microplastics are as prevalent in soils as in oceans, their terrestrial impacts warrant much greater research attention.

2020 OakTrust (Texas A&M University Libraries) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Minimal Impacts of Microplastics on Soil Physical Properties under Environmentally Relevant Concentrations

Researchers measured the physical properties of silt loam soil after incorporating polyester fibers and polypropylene granules across a wide range of concentrations. The study found that at environmentally relevant concentrations, microplastics had minimal impacts on soil physical properties such as water retention and aggregate stability, suggesting that current contamination levels may not significantly alter soil structure.

2023 Environmental Science & Technology 145 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of Microplastics on the Soil Biophysical Environment

Four common microplastic types (polyacrylic fibers, polyamide beads, polyester fibers, PE fragments) were added to loamy sand soil at environmentally relevant concentrations in a garden experiment and effects on soil-water relationships, structure, and microbial function were measured over 5 weeks. Results showed that microplastics altered water repellency, aggregate stability, and microbial activity in a plastic-type-dependent manner, confirming that microplastics can disrupt fundamental soil biophysical processes.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 1726 citations
Article Tier 2

Experimental Investigation of Water-Retaining and Unsaturated Infiltration Characteristics of Loess Soils Imbued with Microplastics

Researchers conducted one-dimensional vertical soil column rainfall infiltration experiments on loess soil mixed with microplastics at varying content levels and particle sizes, finding that microplastics weakened soil water-retaining capacity and altered infiltration characteristics, with intermittent irrigation recommended to compensate for reduced soil permeability.

2022 Sustainability 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Have Widely Varying Effects on Soil

Researchers found that microplastic concentrations as low as 0.4% alter soil drainage, with potential downstream consequences for crop growth and plant productivity.

2025 Eos
Article Tier 2

Dry‐wet alternation and microplastics particle size effects on and contributions to soil water and soil pore properties

Researchers examined how microplastics of different particle sizes affect soil water properties and pore characteristics under repeated drying-wetting cycles typical of agricultural fields. They found that both microplastic size and the drying-wetting alternation influenced soil hydraulic parameters and pore distributions. The study suggests that microplastic residues in farmland soils may alter water retention and movement in ways that could affect agricultural productivity.

2024 European Journal of Soil Science 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Different Microplastics on Soil Evaporation Rates: A Comparative Analysis Across Chernozem, Umbrisol, and Luvisol

Researchers assessed the effects of high-density polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polystyrene microplastics at 5% w/w concentration on evaporation rates, dry bulk density, and saturated water content across three soil types (Chernozem, Umbrisol, and Luvisol), finding that all three polymer types significantly altered soil physical properties in ways that varied by both polymer type and soil classification.

2024 Land 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Size and concentration-dependent effects of polyethylene microplastics on soil chemistry in a microcosm study

Researchers tested how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect soil chemistry in a controlled lab setting. They found that the smallest microplastic particles reduced the soil's ability to hold nutrients by nearly 13% and altered dissolved organic matter, while also leaching phthalate chemicals into the soil. The study suggests that as microplastics accumulate in agricultural soils, they could impair important soil functions related to nutrient retention and pollutant movement.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Soil Hydraulic Properties

Researchers investigated how pristine and UV-weathered polypropylene granules and polyester fibers affect soil hydraulic properties in a silt loam soil, finding that microplastic incorporation altered bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water holding capacity, and aggregate stability in ways that depended on particle shape and weathering state.

2022 1 citations