Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics and Organic Fertilizer Regulation on Soil Dissolved Organic Matter Evolution

This study examined how microplastic addition to soil affects dissolved organic matter (DOM) evolution, focusing on the interactions between microplastics as carbon sources and organic fertilizer. Microplastics altered DOM composition and quantity, with effects on soil carbon cycling that varied by plastic type and organic fertilizer combination, suggesting complex interactions between plastic pollution and soil amendment practices.

2024 Toxics 6 citations
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

Microplastic coupled with soil dissolved organic matter mediated changes in the soil chemical and microbial characteristics

Researchers conducted a two-month incubation experiment to study how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes and concentrations affect soil carbon composition and microbial communities. They found that microplastics altered the dissolved organic matter in soil and shifted how microbial communities utilized carbon sources. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils may have cascading effects on soil health and nutrient cycling.

2024 Chemosphere 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-DerivedDissolved Organic Matter RegulatesSoil Carbon Respiration via Microbial Ecophysiological Controls

Researchers investigated how microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter influences soil carbon respiration, finding that carbon compounds leached from microplastics alter soil heterotrophic microbial ecophysiology and thereby affect carbon sequestration dynamics in contaminated soils.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Diverse Impacts of Microplastic-derived Dissolved Organic Matter at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations on Soil Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation

Researchers examined how dissolved organic matter leached from biodegradable and conventional agricultural mulch microplastics affects soil chemistry at environmentally realistic concentrations. They found that UV-exposed microplastic leachates were more bioavailable and caused greater changes to soil organic matter than those produced in dark conditions. The study suggests that even at low concentrations, microplastic-derived compounds can meaningfully alter soil carbon dynamics, with effects varying by soil type.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the effects of different concentrations of Microplastics on and the leaching of dissolved organic carbon in a soil suspension experiment

Researchers quantified the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and other dissolved substances from beech forest soil spiked with LDPE or PET microplastics at varying concentrations in soil suspension experiments. The study aimed to determine how microplastic type and concentration influence DOC leaching dynamics in terrestrial soils.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Article Tier 2

Diverse Impactsof Microplastic-derived DissolvedOrganic Matter at Environmentally Relevant Concentrations on SoilDissolved Organic Matter Transformation

Researchers examined how dissolved organic matter derived from agricultural microplastic mulches affects soil DOM transformation in yellow and black soils at environmentally relevant concentrations. They found that microplastic-derived DOM altered soil DOM dynamics in ways that could affect nutrient cycling and soil ecosystem function even at low, realistic exposure levels.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Response of soil dissolved organic matter to microplastic addition in Chinese loess soil

Researchers added microplastics to loess soil at two concentrations and tracked dissolved organic matter over 30 days, finding that even moderate additions altered the rate of organic carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus release, stimulated soil enzyme activity, and promoted accumulation of high-molecular-weight humic compounds — suggesting microplastic pollution reshapes soil nutrient cycling.

2017 Chemosphere 864 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics InfluenceDissolved Organic Matter TransformationMediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

A 450-day incubation experiment found that microplastics altered dissolved organic matter transformation in different soil aggregate fractions by modifying microbial community composition and activity, potentially affecting long-term soil carbon dynamics. (Duplicate record of ID 10767.)

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Aging behavior of microplastics affected DOM in riparian sediments: From the characteristics to bioavailability

Researchers examined how aging of microplastics in riparian sediments affects dissolved organic matter characteristics and bioavailability, finding that accumulated and weathered microplastics alter carbon cycling functions in these critical river-land interface zones.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 105 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-Derived Dissolved Organic Matter Regulates Soil Carbon Respiration via Microbial Ecophysiological Controls

Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released by microplastics affects the way soil microbes process carbon. They found that compounds leaching from both new and aged microplastics stimulated soil carbon release, with aged microplastics having a larger effect by altering microbial community structure. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution may influence soil carbon cycling and potentially affect how effectively soils store carbon.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics-driven reconfiguration of organic carbon fractions in lake sediments: mineralization and stabilization dynamics of biodegradable polymers

Microplastics in soil were found to alter the composition and distribution of organic carbon fractions, with implications for soil fertility and carbon sequestration. The study reveals that microplastic contamination can reshape the biogeochemical cycling of carbon in terrestrial ecosystems.

2025 Water Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics InfluenceDissolved Organic Matter TransformationMediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

A 450-day incubation study found that microplastics altered dissolved organic matter (DOM) transformation in soil aggregates by disrupting microbiome composition and activity, with effects differing between macro- and micro-aggregate fractions.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Influence Dissolved Organic Matter Transformation Mediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates

Researchers conducted a 450-day experiment to study how microplastics alter the transformation of dissolved organic matter within soil aggregates, a process critical for soil stability and fertility. They found that microplastics destabilized organic matter in larger soil clumps while increasing its chemical complexity in smaller ones, with biodegradable plastics having the strongest effects. These changes were driven by shifts in microbial communities, suggesting that microplastic pollution could fundamentally alter how carbon cycles through agricultural soils.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil dissolved organic carbon governs the transport of polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in heterogeneous soil systems

This study examined how different types of soil organic carbon affect the movement of microplastic particles through soil, finding that dissolved organic carbon was the key factor governing transport of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics specifically — essentially hitching a ride on dissolved organic matter to travel farther through soil. Other plastics like polystyrene and polypropylene moved relatively freely regardless of soil type. The results matter for assessing contamination risk in agricultural soils, where organic matter levels fluctuate with fertilizer and crop rotation practices.

2026 Journal of Contaminant Hydrology
Article Tier 2

Distribution and dynamics of microplastics in soils

This doctoral research mapped how microplastics are distributed and transported through soils, examining how soil properties like texture and organic matter influence their accumulation, breakdown, and mobility into groundwater. Because soils are both a major sink and a transfer medium for microplastics, this work helps build the foundation needed for assessing contamination risks to agriculture and drinking water.

2026 Ghent University Academic Bibliography (Ghent University)
Article Tier 2

Molecular insights into effects of PBAT microplastics on latosol microbial diversity and DOM chemodiversity

Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics significantly altered soil microbial community diversity and dissolved organic matter composition in tropical latosol over 120 days, with effects intensifying at higher microplastic concentrations.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 50 citations
Article Tier 2

Quantifying the effects of different concentrations of Microplastics on and the leaching of dissolved organic carbon in a soil suspension experiment

Researchers quantified the release of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and other dissolved substances from soil under the influence of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics at varying concentrations using soil suspension experiments with beech forest soil from the Abruzzo mountains in Italy. The study aimed to characterise how microplastic type and concentration affect DOC leaching in terrestrial environments.

2024 Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastic effects on soil system parameters: a meta-analysis study

Microplastics in soil did not significantly affect dissolved organic carbon, nutrient availability, microbial diversity, or crop biomass, but they did significantly increase soil microorganism abundance and decrease water-stable macro-aggregates, pointing to soil structure degradation as the primary concern.

2022 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 58 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-derived dissolved organic matter and its biogeochemical behaviors in aquatic environments: A review

This review examines how microplastics release dissolved organic matter (MP-DOM) as they break down in water, and how these released chemicals affect water ecosystems. MP-DOM can interact with other pollutants and alter carbon cycling in natural waters, with the type and amount varying based on plastic composition and weathering conditions. Understanding what microplastics release into water as they degrade is important because these dissolved chemicals may have their own toxic effects on aquatic life and water quality.

2024 Critical Reviews in Environmental Science and Technology 84 citations