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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Traditional microplastics alter microbial community, metabolites and nutrition in heavy metal-contaminated coastal saline soil
ClearMicroplastics change soil properties, heavy metal availability and bacterial community in a Pb-Zn-contaminated soil
This study found that adding six different types of microplastics to soil contaminated with lead and zinc changed the soil's chemistry, increased the availability of those toxic metals, and shifted the bacterial communities living in the soil. Higher doses of microplastics caused greater disruption, reducing microbial diversity and altering nutrient cycling. The findings suggest that microplastics in contaminated soil could make heavy metals more likely to enter plants and the food chain.
Microplastics in heavy metal-contaminated soil drives bacterial community and metabolic changes
Researchers found that adding common microplastics to soil already contaminated with heavy metals significantly changed the bacterial communities and their metabolic processes. The microplastics increased competition among bacteria and shifted how they process energy, while Proteobacteria became more abundant as a stress response. This matters because when microplastics and heavy metals combine in agricultural soil, they may disrupt the microbial ecosystems that keep soil healthy for growing food.
Impacts of polypropylene microplastics on the distribution of cadmium, enzyme activities, and bacterial community in black soil at the aggregate level
Researchers found that adding polypropylene microplastics to soil contaminated with cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) changed how the metal distributed across different soil particle sizes and shifted bacterial communities. The microplastics increased cadmium availability in some soil fractions, potentially making it easier for plants to absorb this toxic metal. This suggests that microplastic-contaminated farmland may pose greater heavy metal exposure risks for crops and, ultimately, for people who eat them.
Microplastics alter cadmium accumulation in different soil-plant systems: Revealing the crucial roles of soil bacteria and metabolism
A study found that microplastics in soil can change how much cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, is absorbed by food crops, with the effects varying depending on soil type and the amount of plastic present. By altering soil chemistry and bacterial communities, microplastics reshape how pollutants move through farmland and into the food we eat.
Influence of polyethylene-microplastic on environmental behaviors of metals in soil
Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect the adsorption, desorption, and bioavailability of heavy metals in soil. They found that adding microplastics altered how metals bind to soil particles and increased the mobility of certain metals like cadmium and lead. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may change the environmental behavior of heavy metals, potentially increasing their availability to plants and soil organisms.
Interaction of Heavy Metals with Plastic Contaminated Soil
This study reviews and investigates how microplastic contamination in soil interacts with heavy metals, finding that plastic particles alter soil behavior and can change how toxic metals move through and bind to soil. Because microplastics increase soil permeability and adsorb metals, their presence in landfills and near industrial sites raises concern about groundwater contamination from combined plastic and metal pollution.
Evaluating the impacts of microplastics on agricultural soil physical, chemical properties, and toxic metal availability: An emerging concern for sustainable agriculture
This study tested how five common types of microplastics affect soil properties and heavy metal availability in agricultural soil over 90 days. Microplastics changed soil structure, nutrient levels, and water-holding capacity, and actually reduced the availability of toxic heavy metals at higher plastic concentrations -- highlighting the complex ways plastic pollution is altering the farmland that produces our food.
Impacts of polyethylene microplastics on bioavailability and toxicity of metals in soil
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the bioavailability and toxicity of copper and nickel in soil using earthworms as test organisms. They found that adding microplastics to contaminated soil increased the bioavailability of the metals and enhanced their toxic effects on the earthworms. The study suggests that microplastics in soil can worsen heavy metal pollution by making metals more accessible and harmful to soil-dwelling organisms.
Microplastics in Mediterranean Agricultural Soils: Effects on Soil Properties, Metal Accumulation in Plants, and Implications for Sustainable Agroecosystems
Scientists found that tiny plastic particles in soil make it easier for toxic metals like lead and zinc to move into plants we might eat. Even small amounts of microplastics changed how metals behave in the soil, with some types of plastic causing up to 20% more metal absorption in plants. This matters because these contaminated plants could end up in our food supply, potentially increasing our exposure to harmful metals.
Influencing mechanisms of microplastics existence on soil heavy metals accumulated by plants
This review summarizes existing research on how microplastics in soil affect the uptake of heavy metals by plants. Microplastics can change soil chemistry and microbial communities in ways that alter how much toxic metals plants absorb through their roots. This is concerning for human health because microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could lead to crops that contain higher levels of dangerous heavy metals.
Microplastics drive microbial assembly, their interactions, and metagenomic functions in two soils with distinct pH and heavy metal availability
Researchers investigated how microplastics affect soil microbial communities and their functions in two different soil types, one acidic and one neutral. They found that microplastics altered bacterial and fungal community composition and disrupted genes involved in carbon cycling, nitrogen metabolism, and pollutant degradation, with effects varying between the two soil types. The study reveals that soil characteristics like pH and existing heavy metal contamination play a significant role in determining how microplastics impact underground ecosystems.
Effects of complex pollution by microplastics and heavy metals on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities under alternate wetting and drying conditions
Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics interact with cadmium and copper in soil under alternating wet and dry conditions, comparing the effects of fresh versus aged microplastics. They found that aged microplastics had stronger effects on soil properties and microbial communities than fresh ones, and that the wetting-drying cycles amplified these changes. The study reveals that environmental aging of microplastics makes them more disruptive to soil ecosystems, especially when combined with heavy metal contamination.
Micro plastic driving changes in the soil microbes and lettuce growth under the influence of heavy metals contaminated soil
Researchers studied how microplastics interact with heavy metals in contaminated soil and their combined effects on lettuce growth and soil bacteria. Different types of microplastics altered soil chemistry and changed which microbes thrived, sometimes making heavy metals more available to plants. The study suggests that microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil could affect both the safety and nutritional quality of leafy vegetables that people eat.
The Effect of Microplastics-Plants on the Bioavailability of Copper and Zinc in the Soil of a Sewage Irrigation Area
Researchers examined how different concentrations of microplastics affect the bioavailability of copper and zinc in sewage-irrigated soils, finding that microplastics can alter heavy metal mobility and plant uptake, with implications for food safety in contaminated agricultural areas.
Microbes drive metabolism, community diversity, and interactions in response to microplastic-induced nutrient imbalance
Researchers investigated how conventional and biodegradable microplastics alter soil nutrient balances and the resulting effects on microbial metabolism, community diversity, and species interactions. The study found that microplastic-induced nutrient imbalances significantly influenced soil microbial processes, with different types of microplastics producing distinct effects on carbon and nitrogen cycling.
Influence of Different Microplastic Forms on pH and Mobility of Cu2+ and Pb2+ in Soil
Researchers investigated how different microplastic forms influence soil pH and the mobility of copper and lead ions, finding that microplastics' surface properties and electrostatic interactions can modify heavy metal sorption and alter the soil microenvironment.
Ecotoxicological effects of polyethylene microplastics and lead (Pb) on the biomass, activity, and community diversity of soil microbes
A soil experiment found that polyethylene microplastics made lead (a toxic heavy metal) more available in soil and worsened its harmful effects on soil microorganisms. The combination reduced beneficial enzyme activity, lowered microbial efficiency, and shifted the soil microbial community, suggesting that microplastic pollution in contaminated soils could amplify heavy metal toxicity in ways that ultimately affect food crops and human health.
Microplastics can affect soil properties and chemical speciation of metals in yellow-brown soil
Researchers added five polymer types (LLDPE, PA, PU, PS, LDPE) at various concentrations to yellow-brown soil and measured their effects on soil physicochemical properties and the speciation of cadmium, copper, lead, and zinc. MPs shifted heavy metal distribution toward more bioavailable fractions, suggesting that microplastic contamination can increase the extractability and potential toxicity of co-occurring metals in soil.
Response of soil heavy metal forms and bioavailability to the application of microplastics across five years in different soil types
Researchers conducted a five-year experiment examining how microplastics affect the chemical forms and bioavailability of heavy metals across five different soil types. They found that microplastics generally reduced the readily available forms of heavy metals while increasing the mineral- and organic-bound forms, and that the bioconcentration of chromium and lead decreased substantially. The study suggests that soil type and exposure duration both play important roles in how microplastics influence heavy metal behavior in soils.
Time-dependent effects of microplastics on soil bacteriome
Researchers studied how six common types of microplastics affect soil bacteria over time at realistic contamination levels. The effects were slow to appear due to the chemical stability of plastics, but over time, microplastics altered bacterial community structure and soil functions in ways that differed by plastic type. This matters because changes to soil bacteria can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on food quality.