Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Impacts and mechanism of biodegradable microplastics on lake sediment properties, bacterial dynamics, and greenhouse gasses emissions

Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics in lake sediments increased greenhouse gas emissions more than conventional polyethylene microplastics, altering sediment properties and microbial communities in ways that enhanced carbon dioxide and methane production.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 56 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in sediment of freshwater systems

Researchers found that PET microplastics of different sizes significantly affected greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities in freshwater sediments, with smaller particles (5 micrometers) notably increasing methane emissions and altering nutrient cycling over 90 days.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 112 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms Associated with Lower Methane Emissions from Paddy Soil by Aged Polylactic Acid Microplastics

Researchers found that paddy fields with certain management practices emitted less methane, linking microplastic content and soil microbial community shifts to reduced greenhouse gas output. The study highlights how plastic contamination in agricultural soils can unexpectedly alter the carbon cycle.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Evaluating the role of biochar in mitigating the inhibition of polyethylene nanoplastics on anaerobic granular sludge

Researchers found that biochar addition effectively mitigated the inhibitory effects of polyethylene nanoplastics on anaerobic granular sludge, restoring methane production by reducing oxidative stress and improving microbial community stability.

2022 Water Research 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Unveiling the hidden impact: How biodegradable microplastics influence CO2 and CH4 emissions and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) profiles in soil ecosystems

Researchers investigated how biodegradable microplastics from PBAT, PBS, and PLA affect greenhouse gas emissions and volatile organic compounds in paddy and upland soils. The study found that despite being biodegradable, these microplastics do not always promote soil emissions as expected, with PBAT and PLA actually reducing certain greenhouse gas fluxes under some conditions.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar and Microplastics Affect Microbial Necromass Accumulation and CO2 and N2O Emissions from Soil

Researchers investigated how biochar and polyethylene microplastics interact in soil and found that both reduced CO2 and N2O greenhouse gas emissions, though through different mechanisms. Microplastics decreased emissions primarily by reducing dissolved organic matter and bacterial biomass, while biochar suppressed nitrogen-cycling genes. When combined, microplastics in biochar-treated soil unexpectedly increased microbial necromass carbon by disrupting soil aggregates, revealing complex interactions between these two soil amendments.

2023 ACS ES&T Engineering 31 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastics hamper aged biochar’s potential in mitigating greenhouse gas emissions

Polyethylene microplastics (1–5% by weight) significantly reduced the greenhouse gas-mitigating benefits of aged biochar in agricultural soil, decreasing soil aggregation and altering dissolved organic matter dynamics—raising concerns about microplastic interference with biochar-based carbon sequestration strategies.

2025 Carbon Research 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic and biochar interactively affect the global warming potential of soil greenhouse gas emissions

A 45-day laboratory incubation experiment tested polyethylene microplastics and two types of biochar applied to agricultural soil alone and in combination, measuring effects on greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities. Co-application of microplastic and biochar reduced the global warming potential of cumulative greenhouse gas emissions compared to microplastic alone, suggesting biochar partially mitigates microplastic effects on soil carbon cycling.

2022 Environmental Pollution 69 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of polyethylene terephthalate microplastic and biochar co-existence on paddy soil bacterial community structure and greenhouse gas emission

Researchers studied how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics and biochar, both common in agricultural soils, affect soil bacteria and greenhouse gas emissions during rice cultivation. They found that microplastics alone reduced bacterial diversity, but adding biochar alongside the microplastics partially restored microbial communities and altered gas emissions. The study suggests that biochar may help mitigate some of the negative soil health effects of microplastic contamination in paddy fields.

2021 Environmental Pollution 135 citations
Article Tier 2

Combined effect of biochar and soil moisture on soil chemical properties and microbial community composition in microplastic‐contaminated agricultural soil

Biochar was applied to microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil under different moisture conditions, with results showing that biochar improved soil chemical properties and shifted microbial communities in ways that partially offset microplastic-induced degradation. The study suggests biochar as a practical soil amendment to mitigate microplastic impacts in farming systems.

2022 Soil Use and Management 49 citations
Article Tier 2

Biodegradable microplastics aggravate greenhouse gas emissions from urban lake sediments more severely than conventional microplastics

This study found that biodegradable microplastics caused urban lake sediments to release significantly more greenhouse gases (methane and carbon dioxide) than conventional non-biodegradable microplastics. The biodegradable plastics stimulated microbial activity and enzyme production in the sediment, suggesting that switching to biodegradable plastics may have unintended climate consequences if they end up in waterways.

2024 Water Research 39 citations
Article Tier 2

Methane oxidation coupling with heavy metal and microplastic transformations for biochar-mediated landfill cover soil

Researchers examined how co-occurring heavy metal and microplastic pollution affects methane oxidation by methanotrophs in landfill cover soil and investigated the role of biochar in mediating these interactions. Heavy metals and microplastics individually suppressed methane oxidation, while biochar addition partially restored methanotrophic activity, highlighting biochar as a potential tool for maintaining greenhouse gas regulation in contaminated landfill soils.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-density polyethylene microplastics and biochar interactively affect greenhouse gas emissions and microbial community structure and function in paddy soil

Researchers examined how low-density polyethylene microplastics and biochar interact when added to paddy soil, affecting greenhouse gas emissions and microbial communities. The study found that both amendments significantly increased methane emissions while suppressing carbon dioxide output, and their combined presence altered soil microbial community structure and functional gene abundances in ways that influence biogeochemical processes.

2023 Chemosphere 32 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar mitigates microplastic‐induced destabilization of soil organic carbon via molecular recalcitrance and microbial process regulation

Biochar amendments to soil were shown to offset the destabilizing effects that microplastics have on soil aggregate structure. The finding suggests that biochar could be a practical soil amendment to counteract microplastic-driven soil degradation in contaminated agricultural lands.

2025 Functional Ecology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastic particles on carbon source metabolism and bacterial community in freshwater lake sediments

A microcosm experiment tested how four common plastic types affect carbon metabolism and bacterial communities in freshwater lake sediments, finding that microplastics disrupted microbial carbon cycling and altered community composition.

2025 Environmental Pollution 3 citations
Article Tier 2

A Study of the Effects of Microplastics on Microbial Communities in Marine Sediments

This study investigated how the presence of microplastics in marine sediments affects microbial communities and, specifically, the methane cycle, finding that microplastics significantly altered microbial community structure and function. Since marine sediment microbes play a critical role in regulating greenhouse gas emissions, microplastic contamination could have broader climate-relevant effects beyond direct toxicity.

2024 Highlights in Science Engineering and Technology 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and the microbial community in fertilized soil

Two particle sizes of microplastics were added to fertilized soil and their effects on dissolved organic carbon, greenhouse gas fluxes, and microbial communities were measured, finding reduced global warming potential due to decreased methane emissions but changes in bacterial and fungal community composition. The study reveals complex interactions between microplastics and soil carbon cycling processes.

2019 Environmental Pollution 529 citations
Article Tier 2

Exploring the potential of biochar for the remediation of microbial communities and element cycling in microplastic-contaminated soil

Scientists found that adding biochar (a charcoal-like material made from plant waste) to soil contaminated with microplastics helped restore healthy microbial communities and nutrient cycling. The biochar reversed negative effects that microplastics had on soil chemistry, including nitrogen and phosphorus availability. This suggests biochar could be a practical tool for repairing farmland damaged by microplastic pollution.

2024 Chemosphere 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of biodegradable microplastics coexistence with biochars produced at low and high temperatures on bacterial community structure and phenanthrene degradation in soil

Researchers investigated how biodegradable microplastics interact with biochar in soil to affect bacterial communities and pollutant degradation. The study found that the coexistence of PBAT microplastics and biochar significantly altered soil microbial structure and influenced the degradation of phenanthrene, suggesting complex interactions between these increasingly common soil amendments.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 11 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on nitrogen and phosphorus cycles and microbial communities in sediments

Researchers found that PVC, PLA, and polypropylene microplastics altered nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in freshwater sediments by shifting microbial community composition, with effects varying by polymer type and biodegradability.

2022 Environmental Pollution 107 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics Increase the Risk of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Water Pollution in a Freshwater Lake by Affecting Microbial Function in Biogenic Element Cycling: A Metagenomic Study

Researchers used metagenomic analysis to examine how microplastics affect microbial community function in a freshwater lake, finding that microplastic contamination disrupts biogenic element cycling processes and increases the risk of greenhouse gas emissions and water quality degradation.

2024
Article Tier 2

Biochar immobilized hydrolase degrades PET microplastics and alleviates the disturbance of soil microbial function via modulating nitrogen and phosphorus cycles

Researchers developed a new tool using biochar combined with a plastic-eating enzyme to break down PET microplastics in soil. The approach achieved nearly 30% weight loss of PET particles and helped restore healthy nitrogen and phosphorus cycling in the soil by shifting microbial communities, offering a promising strategy for addressing microplastic contamination in agricultural land.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 38 citations
Article Tier 2

Biochar-microplastics interaction modulates soil nitrous oxide emissions and microbial communities

Researchers examined how biochar interacts with conventional and biodegradable microplastics in soil to affect coriander growth, nitrous oxide emissions, and microbial communities. They found that biochar generally reduced soil nitrous oxide emissions, but this benefit was diminished or even reversed when certain microplastics were present. The study suggests that the combined use of biochar and plastic mulch in agricultural fields can produce unexpected effects on greenhouse gas emissions and soil microbiology.

2025 Biochar 6 citations