We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Papers
20 resultsShowing papers similar to MicroplasticMixture Diversity Destabilizes Mineral-AssociatedCarbon via Constraining the Accumulation of Microbial Necromass
ClearMicroplastic Mixture Diversity Destabilizes Mineral-Associated Carbon via Constraining the Accumulation of Microbial Necromass
Researchers exposed soil to increasing microplastic diversity (1–12 polymer types) and found that greater polymer diversity reduced microbial necromass carbon by up to 9% and mineral-associated organic carbon by up to 11%, suggesting diverse microplastic mixtures pose greater risks to soil carbon sequestration.
Microplastics Can Inhibit Organic Carbon Mineralization by Influencing Soil Aggregate Distribution and Microbial Community Structure in Cultivated Soil: Evidence from a One-Year Pot Experiment
Researchers conducted a one-year pot experiment to study how different types and concentrations of microplastics affect soil carbon cycling and aggregate stability. They found that microplastics significantly altered soil aggregate size distribution and decreased organic carbon mineralization rates regardless of polymer type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination may slow the natural breakdown of organic carbon in agricultural soils by changing soil structure and microbial communities.
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.
[Effect of Polyethylene Microplastics on Microbial Necromass Carbon in Different Land Use Type Soils].
A lab experiment found that polyethylene microplastics from agricultural film disturb how soil microbes process and store carbon across different land-use types, with low doses increasing nitrogen limitation and high doses releasing extra carbon. This matters because the spread of plastic film fragments in farmland soils could subtly degrade soil fertility and alter the carbon and nitrogen cycles that underpin agricultural productivity.
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.
Microplastic Diversity as a Potential Driver of Soil Denitrification Shifts
Researchers conducted a soil microcosm experiment to study how the diversity of microplastic types (rather than just individual types) affects soil ecosystem functions. They found that increasing microplastic diversity raised soil pH and organic carbon while reducing available nitrogen, and significantly boosted bacterial diversity and denitrifying gene abundance. The findings suggest that realistic mixtures of multiple microplastic types in soil may have stronger impacts on nitrogen cycling than single-type contamination.
Increasing soil microplastic diversity decreases community biomass via its impact on the most dominant species
Researchers experimentally mixed different numbers and types of microplastics into soil hosting six plant species, finding that greater variety of microplastic types in the soil reduced total plant biomass — mainly by suppressing the growth of the dominant grass species. The results suggest that real-world environments contaminated with multiple types of microplastics may suffer greater ecological harm than studies using a single plastic type would predict.
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.
Influence of biochar and microplastics on microbial necromass accumulation and CO2 and N2O emission in a Calcaric Fluvisol
A 91-day soil experiment found that biochar reduced CO2 and N2O emissions, but the presence of microplastics partially counteracted these benefits, suggesting that plastic pollution can undermine soil carbon management strategies.
Soil microbial community parameters affected by microplastics and other plastic residues
Researchers conducted a meta-analysis examining how plastic residues, including microplastics, affect soil microbial communities. The study found that plastics accelerated soil organic carbon loss and reduced microbial biomass overall, with effects varying by polymer type: polyethylene decreased microbial richness while polypropylene increased it, and the impact on microbial activity followed a dose-response pattern with a turning point around 40 grams per kilogram of soil.
Differential carbon accumulation of microbial necromass and plant lignin by pollution of polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics in soil
This study found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics changed how carbon is stored in soil. The plastics increased carbon from dead microbes while decreasing carbon from plant material, with most of the additional soil carbon coming from fungal remains. These changes to soil chemistry matter because they could affect agricultural productivity and the ability of soil to store carbon, with broader implications for climate and food systems.
Microplastic effects on carbon cycling in terrestrial soil ecosystems: Storage, formation, mineralization, and microbial mechanisms
Microplastics in soil contribute to organic carbon storage through degradation and leaching, but also disrupt carbon cycling by altering plant growth, litter decomposition, and microbial activity. The net effect on soil CO2 and CH4 emissions varies depending on how microplastics reshape microbial community structure and enzyme activity.
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.
The Role of Soil Microorganisms in Microplastic Biodegradation: Mechanisms, Carbon Preferences, and Ecological Impacts
This review examines how soil microorganisms interact with microplastics and attempt to biodegrade them, finding that despite plastics being carbon-based, their unique chemical structures prevent microbes from using them the same way they use natural organic matter. Soil carbon availability affects which microbes preferentially colonize and partially break down plastic particles, but full assimilation remains limited. Understanding microbial degradation pathways is important for assessing how long microplastics persist in soils and for developing bioremediation strategies.
Living in the plastic age - Different short-term microbial response to microplastics addition to arable soils with contrasting soil organic matter content and farm management legacy
Adding polyethylene or polypropylene microplastics to two agricultural soils did not severely disrupt overall microbial activity or nitrogen cycling, but polypropylene reduced microbial biomass, especially in the organically managed soil. The results suggest that soil management history influences how resilient soil microbiomes are to microplastic contamination.
Microplastic-Induced Alterations in Soil Aggregate-Associated Carbon Stabilization Pathways: Evidence from δ13C Signature Analysis
Researchers conducted a year-long field experiment to understand how different types of microplastics affect carbon storage in soil. They found that conventional plastics like polyethylene and PVC destabilized soil structures and released stored carbon, while biodegradable plastics like PLA and PHA helped maintain soil integrity. The study provides evidence that the type of plastic contaminating agricultural soils significantly influences whether carbon is retained or lost.
MicroplasticDiversityas a Potential Driver of SoilDenitrification Shifts
Researchers conducted a microcosm experiment with four levels of microplastic diversity and used metagenomic sequencing to show that increasing microplastic diversity significantly raised soil pH and organic carbon content while driving shifts in denitrification function in soil microbial communities.
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.
Soil carbon cycling mediated by microplastics: Formation, mineralization, and sequestration
This review examines how microplastic pollution affects soil organic carbon cycling, covering direct participation in carbon processes and indirect effects on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities. The authors synthesize mechanisms by which microplastics influence organic carbon formation, mineralization, and sequestration in terrestrial ecosystems.
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.