Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic and soil nitrogen dynamics: Unraveling the links between functional genes, microbial communities, and transformation processes

Researchers conducted a six-month experiment to understand how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect nitrogen cycling, a process critical for soil fertility and plant nutrition. They found that while total nitrogen levels stayed stable, microplastics significantly altered the forms of nitrogen present by increasing ammonium and nitrate while decreasing dissolved organic nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastics reshape soil microbial communities and their nitrogen-processing activities, potentially disrupting the natural nutrient balance in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic presence significantly alters soil nitrogen transformation and decreases nitrogen bioavailability under contrasting temperatures

Researchers found that both polyethylene and biodegradable PLA microplastics significantly decreased soil nitrogen bioavailability at 25 degrees Celsius by reducing nitrate and mineral nitrogen levels, with effects varying between clay and sandy loam soils.

2022 Journal of Environmental Management 102 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic contamination on soil nitrogen and its bioavailability in soybean-maize rotation system

Researchers conducting a field experiment found that microplastics in agricultural soil disrupt the nitrogen cycle in a soybean-maize rotation system, inhibiting the natural nitrogen fixation that legumes provide and increasing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate — a form more prone to leaching away — raising concerns for long-term soil fertility.

2025 Soil and Tillage Research
Article Tier 2

[Advances in Research of the Effects and Mechanisms of Polyethylene Microplastics on Soil Nitrogen Transformation].

This review examines the effects and mechanisms by which polyethylene microplastics — the dominant microplastic type in Chinese agricultural soils — influence elemental cycling processes in soil, summarizing findings on carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus dynamics under microplastic exposure.

2024 PubMed 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Short-term effects of polyethene and polypropylene microplastics on soil phosphorus and nitrogen availability

Researchers examined the short-term effects of polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics on soil nutrient cycling, finding that these particles can alter the availability of phosphorus and nitrogen depending on microplastic size and fertilization conditions.

2021 Chemosphere 139 citations
Article Tier 2

Research on the Effects of Aging Microplastics on Soil Nitrogen and Dissolved Organic Matter in Dryland Soil

Researchers examined the effects of aged microplastics at varying concentrations on nitrogen forms and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in dryland agricultural soil, finding that microplastic addition reduced ammonia nitrogen, nitrate nitrogen, and total nitrogen while altering DOM composition, humic content, and soil organic matter stability.

2025 Advances in Environmental Protection
Article Tier 2

LDPE microplastics affect soil microbial communities and nitrogen cycling

Researchers found that adding polyethylene microplastics to soil changed the bacterial communities and disrupted the nitrogen cycle, which is essential for soil fertility and plant growth. Microplastics increased the activity of certain nitrogen-processing genes while decreasing others, shifting the balance of nutrient cycling. These changes in soil function could ultimately affect crop health and the quality of food grown in microplastic-contaminated agricultural land.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 404 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic effects on soil nitrogen storage, nitrogen emissions, and ammonia volatilization in relation to soil health and crop productivity: mechanism and future consideration

This review examines how microplastics made from polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polypropylene affect nitrogen cycling and ammonia release in agricultural soils. Researchers found that these plastic particles can alter soil structure, shift microbial community composition, and disrupt the processes that store and release nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in farmland may have cascading effects on soil fertility and crop productivity.

2025 Frontiers in Plant Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The microplastics distribution characteristics and their impact on soil physicochemical properties and bacterial communities in food legumes farmland in northern China

Researchers surveyed farmland soil across five provinces in northern China and found microplastic contamination ranging from 1,600 to over 36,000 particles per kilogram of soil. Most of the microplastics were small fibers and fragments, primarily from agricultural plastic film and organic fertilizer use. The study found that microplastic presence altered soil properties and shifted bacterial community composition, suggesting these particles may affect soil health in food-growing regions.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics influence nutrient content and quality of salt-affected agricultural soil under plastic mulch

Microplastics were found in salt-affected agricultural soils in northeast China at abundances ranging across mulched and unmulched fields, with MPs affecting soil nutrient content and quality in ways that could influence food production in this important agricultural region.

2024 Environmental Research 7 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Do Added Microplastics, Native Soil Properties, and Prevailing Climatic Conditions Have Consequences for Carbon and Nitrogen Contents in Soil? A Global Data Synthesis of Pot and Greenhouse Studies

This meta-analysis examined how microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen levels in soil, which are key to soil fertility. The results show that certain types of plastics — especially smaller, fiber-shaped particles — can significantly alter soil chemistry, potentially affecting crop growth and soil health.

2024 Environmental Science & Technology 53 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics distinctly affect soil microbial community and carbon and nitrogen cycling during plant litter decomposition

Researchers measured how polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon cycling in agricultural soils, finding that microplastic addition shifted microbial diversity and suppressed key carbon mineralization processes. The results suggest microplastic accumulation in farmland could impair soil carbon storage.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic induces microbial nitrogen limitation further alters microbial nitrogentransformation: Insights from metagenomic analysis

Researchers studied how both conventional and biodegradable microplastics affect nitrogen cycling in soil over 120 days. They found that biodegradable microplastics significantly disrupted microbial nitrogen processes by acting as a carbon source that shifted bacterial communities toward nitrogen-fixing species. The findings suggest that even biodegradable plastics in soil can alter nutrient availability in ways that may affect soil fertility and plant growth.

2025 The Science of The Total Environment 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on N2O production and reduction potential in crop soils of northern China

This study examined how polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics at concentrations of 0.5 to 3% affect nitrous oxide production and reduction potential in crop soils from northern China. Results showed that microplastic contamination altered N2O fluxes in vegetable soils by disrupting denitrification pathways, with implications for agricultural greenhouse gas emissions.

2024 Chemosphere 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics change the leaching of nitrogen and potassium in Mollisols

Researchers found that polyethylene microplastics at varying concentrations and sizes altered the leaching of nitrogen and potassium in agricultural Mollisols, with effects depending on microplastic size and concentration thresholds, raising concerns about nutrient cycling disruption in plastic-contaminated farmland soils.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of different polymers of microplastics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen – A mesocosm experiment

Researchers found that adding polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics to agricultural soil altered carbon and nitrogen dynamics, with biodegradable microplastics having stronger effects on soil organic carbon decomposition and nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.

2021 Environmental Research 233 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic pollution on the soil and its consequences on the nitrogen cycle: a review

This review examines microplastic pollution impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, finding that microplastics alter soil structure, serve as novel microbial colonization surfaces, and affect the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 99 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups

Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in soil increased nitrification (a key step in the nitrogen cycle) and changed the composition of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These changes could affect soil fertility and the availability of nutrients for crops. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil may have hidden effects on food production by altering fundamental soil processes.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 72 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of microplastics exposure on soil inorganic nitrogen: A comprehensive synthesis

Meta-analysis of 216 observations from 47 studies showed microplastics exposure significantly reduced soil nitrate concentration by 7.89% overall, but had no significant effect on ammonium. Microplastic polymer type was the strongest predictor of nitrate effects, and exposure above 27C actually enhanced soil nitrate, highlighting a concerning interaction with global warming.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 59 citations
Review Tier 2

Key factors and mechanisms of microplastics’ effects on soil nitrogen transformation: A review

This review systematically analyzed how microplastics affect nitrogen transformation processes in soil. Researchers found that the size, shape, concentration, and polymer type of microplastics all influence soil nitrogen cycling through changes to microbial communities, soil structure, and enzyme activity. The study identifies key knowledge gaps and recommends standardized research approaches to better predict how microplastic pollution will alter soil nutrient dynamics.

2024 Soil & Environmental Health 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential impacts of polyethylene microplastic and additives on soil nitrogen cycling: A deeper dive into microbial interactions and transformation mechanisms

This study tested how polyethylene microplastics, their base resin, and plastic additives each affect nitrogen cycling in soil -- a process essential for plant growth. All three altered the soil's nitrogen balance and microbial communities in different ways, with microplastics increasing certain nitrogen transformation rates the most. These findings matter because disrupted nitrogen cycling in farmland could affect crop nutrition and ultimately the quality of food humans eat.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Distribution characteristics of soil microplastics and their impact on soil physicochemical properties in agricultural areas of the North China plain

Microplastics are accumulating across agricultural soils of the North China Plain, with this study finding moderate-to-low abundance across multiple land use types and detecting that plastic particles affect soil texture, bulk density, and water-holding capacity. Altered soil physical properties from microplastic contamination could impair crop growth and soil fertility over time, with implications for food security.

2024 Environmental Science Processes & Impacts 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of polyamide microplastic in altering microbial consortium and carbon and nitrogen cycles in a simulated agricultural soil microcosm

Researchers added polyamide microplastics to simulated agricultural soil and tracked their effects on microbial communities and nutrient cycling over time. They found that microplastics altered the composition of soil bacteria and disrupted both carbon and nitrogen cycling processes. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in farmland can affect the invisible but essential microbial processes that maintain soil health and fertility.

2022 Chemosphere 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Sub-micron microplastics affect nitrogen cycling by altering microbial abundance and activities in a soil-legume system

Researchers found that very small (sub-micron) polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in soil significantly altered nitrogen cycling by changing the abundance and activity of bacteria around soybean roots. While the microplastics did not affect plant growth directly, they increased nitrogen uptake and shifted the balance of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These hidden changes to soil chemistry could have long-term effects on agricultural productivity and the nutritional quality of crops.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 45 citations