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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Can Microplastic Pollution Change Soil-Water Dynamics? Results from Controlled Laboratory Experiments
ClearPotential 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.
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.
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.
Effects of microplastics on the water characteristic curve of soils with different textures
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations and sizes affect the water-holding properties of sandy and loamy soils. The study found that low concentrations had minimal impact, while high concentrations significantly altered soil water characteristics, with small microplastics improving water retention in loamy soil and larger particles reducing water content in sandy soil.
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.
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.
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.
Effects of microplastics on evaporation dynamics in porous media
Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics altered soil water evaporation rates and crack formation patterns in laboratory experiments, with effects varying by microplastic type, concentration, and soil texture, suggesting microplastics can disrupt soil water dynamics.
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.
Effects of Environmentally Relevant Microplastic and Nanoplastic Concentrations on Soil Hydro-Physical Properties: A Global Meta-Analysis
This global meta-analysis found that microplastics and nanoplastics in soil reduce its ability to hold water and maintain healthy structure. These changes to soil properties could affect crop growth and water cycling in agricultural areas, with fiber-shaped plastics causing the most disruption.
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.
Impact of microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystem on index and engineering properties of sandy soil: An experimental investigation
Researchers tested how different concentrations of three common plastic types affect the physical and engineering properties of sandy soil. They found that increasing microplastic contamination significantly altered soil characteristics including liquid limit, plasticity, compaction, and shear strength. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in the ground could potentially compromise the structural stability of soil used in construction and land management.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic-induced alterations in water flow and solute transport dynamics in soil
Researchers conducted laboratory experiments to measure how microplastics alter water flow and nutrient transport through soil. They found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics clogged soil pores, reducing water conductivity by up to 74% and creating uneven flow patterns. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils could significantly impair water and nutrient delivery to crops.
Microplastics Can Change Soil Properties and Affect Plant Performance
Researchers tested six different types of microplastics in soil and found that they altered key soil properties including water-holding capacity, bulk density, and microbial activity. These changes in soil structure had cascading effects on plant growth, with some microplastic types reducing above-ground biomass. The study demonstrates that microplastics can fundamentally change how soil functions, with consequences for plant health and ecosystem stability.
Macro- and micro-plastics change soil physical properties: a systematic review
This systematic review examines how plastic particles — both large and microscopic — change important soil properties like water retention, density, and structure. These changes can affect how well soil supports plant growth and produces food, raising concerns about the long-term impact of plastic pollution on agriculture.
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.
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.
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.
Microplastic shape, concentration and polymer type affect soil properties and plant biomass
Experiments showed that microplastic shape, concentration, and polymer type all influence soil physical properties and plant biomass, with certain types reducing plant growth. The findings highlight that the wide variety of plastic particle types entering soils creates complex and variable ecological risks.
Microplastic polymer type impacts water infiltration and its own transport in soil
Researchers conducted laboratory soil column experiments to examine how microplastic polymer type affects both water infiltration rates and the transport of the plastic particles themselves through soil, testing the two most commonly used agricultural microplastic types under controlled hydrological conditions. The study found that polymer type significantly influenced both water flow dynamics and microplastic mobility in soil, with important implications for predicting plastic fate in agricultural and natural terrestrial ecosystems.
Insights into simultaneous changes of water evaporation and desiccation crack formation for microplastics-contained saline soils
Researchers examined how microplastics interact with salt-stressed soils and found that microplastics reduced water flow and total evaporation while also suppressing the formation of desiccation cracks, with effects varying by microplastic concentration and soil salinity. These findings reveal that microplastic pollution can meaningfully alter the water and structural behavior of agricultural soils already under stress from salinization.