Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Influences of coexisting aged polystyrene microplastics on the ecological and health risks of cadmium in soils: A leachability and oral bioaccessibility based study

This study tested whether the presence of aged microplastics in soil changes how easily the toxic heavy metal cadmium can enter the human body through accidental soil ingestion. The results showed that aged polystyrene microplastics actually reduced cadmium absorption in the stomach phase, though the effect varied by soil type. This suggests that the interaction between microplastics and other pollutants in soil creates a complicated picture for assessing human health risks.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 23 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics aggravate the joint toxicity to earthworm Eisenia fetida with cadmium by altering its availability

Researchers exposed earthworms to polyethylene microplastics combined with cadmium and found that co-exposure caused significantly worse effects than either pollutant alone, including increased avoidance behavior, weight loss, and DNA damage. The microplastics increased the bioavailability of cadmium in soil by up to 1.43-fold and boosted cadmium accumulation in earthworm tissue by up to 2.65-fold. The study demonstrates that microplastics can worsen heavy metal toxicity to soil organisms by making the metals more accessible for uptake.

2020 The Science of The Total Environment 166 citations
Article Tier 2

Alteration potential of Propylene microplastic on soil toxicity: impact of organic matter and aging of microplastics

Researchers examined the combined ecotoxic effects of polypropylene (PP) microplastics, UV-aged PP microplastics, cadmium, nickel, and biosolid amendments on the soil organism Enchytraeus crypticus, finding that aged PP increased metal toxicity compared to virgin PP, while biosolid addition reduced combined metal-microplastic toxicity in reproductive endpoint assays.

2022 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Bioavailability of (Semi-)Metals in the Soil Earthworm Eisenia fetida

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics affect the uptake of cadmium and arsenic by earthworms in paddy soil. They found that microplastics altered the soil chemistry in ways that changed how much of these metals the earthworms absorbed, with effects varying by metal type and concentration. The study suggests that microplastics in contaminated agricultural soils can influence how toxic metals move through the food chain.

2025 Agronomy 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecotoxicological effects of microplastics and cadmium on the earthworm Eisenia foetida

Researchers studied the effects of microplastics alone and combined with the heavy metal cadmium on earthworms over 42 days. They found that both exposures reduced growth and increased mortality, with the combined treatment causing the most damage through increased oxidative stress. The study also revealed that microplastics can increase cadmium accumulation in earthworms by up to 161%, suggesting microplastics may worsen heavy metal contamination in soil ecosystems.

2020 Journal of Hazardous Materials 330 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluation of the toxicity effects of microplastics and cadmium on earthworms

Researchers evaluated the combined toxicity of microplastics and cadmium on earthworms (Eisenia fetida) using both short-term and long-term exposure experiments. They found that the co-exposure produced interactive toxic effects on antioxidant enzyme activity and caused DNA damage, with toxicity severity influenced by microplastic particle size and concentration. The study suggests that the presence of microplastics in contaminated soils can modify how heavy metals like cadmium affect soil organisms.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 52 citations
Article Tier 2

Polylactic acid microplastics and earthworms drive cadmium bioaccumulation and toxicity in the soil–radish health community

Researchers examined how polylactic acid microplastics combined with earthworm activity affect cadmium uptake and toxicity in radish plants grown in contaminated soil. The combined treatment significantly increased cadmium accumulation in both roots and leaves while reducing plant biomass by approximately 75% compared to cadmium exposure alone. The findings suggest that biodegradable microplastics and soil fauna together can amplify heavy metal contamination risks in food crops.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Cadmium and copper absorption by Eisenia fetida in the presence of different concentrations of microplastics

Researchers exposed earthworms (Eisenia fetida) to soil containing tire-derived microplastics alongside heavy metals cadmium and copper, finding that the microplastics increased the worms' uptake of both toxic metals. The results suggest that microplastics in soil act as carriers that make heavy metal contamination more bioavailable and dangerous for soil-dwelling organisms.

2023 Journal of Environmental Health Engineering
Article Tier 2

The interaction effects of biodegradable microplastics and Cd on Folsomia candida soil collembolan

Researchers investigated the combined effects of biodegradable PLA microplastics and cadmium on the soil organism Folsomia candida, finding that microplastics altered cadmium bioavailability and their interaction produced distinct toxicological effects.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 6 citations
Article Tier 2

Environmentally relevant concentrations of microplastics from agricultural mulch and cadmium negatively impact earthworms by triggering neurotoxicity and disrupting homeostasis

Researchers exposed earthworms to environmentally realistic levels of microplastics from agricultural mulch film combined with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal. The aged microplastics helped carry more cadmium into the earthworms' bodies, causing nerve damage, gut tissue injury, and disrupted metabolism. This study shows that microplastics in farm soil can make heavy metal contamination worse for soil organisms, with potential knock-on effects for the food chain.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 16 citations
Article Tier 2

The interaction effects of degradable microplastics and Cd to Folsomia candida soil collembolan

Researchers found that the combined exposure of degradable microplastics and cadmium to soil collembolans (Folsomia candida) produced interaction effects on soil organisms, demonstrating that co-occurring microplastics and heavy metals in real field soils can pose compounded risks to soil ecosystem health.

2022 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics in soil on the regulation of cadmium bioavailability by biochar

Researchers investigated how biochar amendments affect cadmium bioavailability in soils co-contaminated with microplastics, finding that the presence of microplastics altered cadmium mobility and complicated biochar's remediation effectiveness in ways that depend on the specific MP type present.

2025 Environmental Geochemistry and Health 2 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of polystyrene microparticles on the environmental availability and bioavailability of As, Cd and Hg in soil for the land snail Cantareus aspersus

Researchers exposed land snails to soil contaminated with both polystyrene microplastics and toxic metals including arsenic, cadmium, and mercury. They found that while microplastics had limited effects on overall metal availability in soil, they did alter the speed and pattern of metal uptake into snail tissues. The study suggests that microplastics may subtly change how organisms absorb environmental contaminants, even when they do not dramatically change the total amount available.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Differential Impactsof Conventional and BiodegradableMicroplastics on Cadmium Transfer in a Soil-Earthworm-Lettuce System

A microcosm experiment tested how conventional and biodegradable microplastics affected cadmium transfer in a soil-earthworm-lettuce system. High doses of conventional MPs increased cadmium in plant shoots by 54% and in earthworms by 80%, while biodegradable MPs had less effect, suggesting polymer type matters for metal contamination risk in agroecosystems.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and biochar on soil cadmium availability and wheat plant performance

Researchers found that fresh microplastics increased soil cadmium availability and plant uptake in wheat, and when combined with biochar, microplastics further amplified cadmium mobilization by decreasing soil pH and increasing dissolved organic matter, complicating biochar-based soil remediation strategies.

2023 GCB Bioenergy 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics and heavy metals on the earthworm Eisenia fetida and on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus

Researchers found that co-contamination by polypropylene microplastics and heavy metals (Cu, Cr, Zn) had synergistic adverse effects on earthworms and soil quality, reducing organic carbon and nitrogen levels more than either contaminant alone.

2023 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on soil properties, maize (Zea mays L.) growth characteristics, and cadmium accumulation in maize in loessial soil-maize systems

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on soil properties and maize growth through pot experiments. They found that microplastics altered soil nutrient availability and, depending on size and concentration, either increased or decreased cadmium uptake by the plants. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can change how crops absorb toxic heavy metals, with potential implications for food safety.

2024 Environmental Pollution 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Cadmium Adsorption Dynamics in Water and Soil by Polystyrene Microplastics and Biochar

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics and biochar interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in water and soil systems. They found that particle size significantly influenced how much cadmium was adsorbed, with the combination of microplastics and biochar creating complex dynamics that affected metal mobility. The findings matter because microplastics in agricultural soils may alter how toxic metals move through the environment and into food crops.

2024 Nanomaterials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Co-Exposure of Nanopolystyrene and Other Environmental Contaminants—Their Toxic Effects on the Survival and Reproduction of Enchytraeus crypticus

This study tested the combined toxicity of nanopolystyrene particles alongside pharmaceuticals, metals, and engineered nanomaterials on the soil worm Enchytraeus crypticus, finding that co-exposure often amplified harm to survival and reproduction beyond that of each pollutant alone. The results highlight that real-world mixtures of plastic and chemical contaminants pose greater ecological risks than single-substance assessments suggest.

2022 Toxics 10 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of Co-Contamination of Microplastics and Cd on Plant Growth and Cd Accumulation

Researchers investigated how two types of microplastics, high-density polyethylene and polystyrene, at various concentrations affect cadmium uptake and toxicity in maize plants grown in agricultural soil. The study found that while polyethylene alone had no significant effect, polystyrene at higher doses altered cadmium accumulation patterns, suggesting that different plastic types may interact differently with heavy metals in soil.

2020 Toxics 239 citations
Article Tier 2

Impacts of microplastics and heavy metals on the earthworm Eisenia foetida and on soil organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus

Researchers assessed the combined effects of polypropylene microplastics and a heavy metal mixture (copper, chromium, and zinc) on the earthworm Eisenia foetida and on soil organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycling. The study found that co-contamination exacerbated adverse effects on earthworm survival and soil nutrient dynamics compared to single-pollutant exposures, highlighting synergistic risks of combined microplastic and metal pollution in terrestrial ecosystems.

2022 Research Square (Research Square)
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastics Coexisting in Vegetable Soil on the Change of Cadmium Bioavailability].

Researchers investigated the effects of biodegradable microplastics co-occurring with cadmium in vegetable soil through a 60-day pot experiment with lettuce, examining how the combined contamination alters cadmium bioavailability and uptake relative to cadmium-only or microplastic-only conditions.

2025 PubMed
Systematic Review Tier 1

Behaviour, ecological impacts of microplastics and cadmium on soil systems: A systematic review

This systematic review examines how microplastics and cadmium interact in soil, finding that they can make each other more harmful. Microplastics can carry toxic cadmium further through soil and increase its uptake by plants, which could mean more heavy metal contamination in the food we eat.

2024 Environmental Technology & Innovation 25 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Unveiling the impacts of microplastics on cadmium transfer in the soil-plant-human system: A review

A meta-analysis found that microplastics significantly increase soil cadmium bioavailability by 6.9% and cadmium accumulation in plant shoots by 9.3%, through both direct surface adsorption and indirect modification of soil pH and dissolved organic carbon. This enhanced cadmium mobility through the soil-plant-human food chain amplifies health risks, as co-ingestion of microplastics and cadmium increases cadmium bioaccessibility and tissue damage.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 46 citations