Papers

61,005 results
|
Article Tier 2

Microplastics shape microbial communities affecting soil organic matter decomposition in paddy soil

Researchers found that microplastics shape soil microbial communities in paddy soils in ways that affect organic matter decomposition, revealing how bacterial succession and carbon cycling are altered by microplastic presence in agricultural systems.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 181 citations
Article Tier 2

Insights into soil microbial assemblages and nitrogen cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics

Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional PVC microplastics affect soil bacteria and nitrogen cycling processes. They found that both types of microplastics altered microbial communities, but biodegradable plastics had distinct effects on nitrogen-processing bacteria and did not simply behave as a harmless alternative. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics may change rather than eliminate the impact of microplastic contamination on soil health.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 18 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

Comparative evaluation of the impacts of different microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions, microbial community structure, and ecosystem multifunctionality in paddy soil

Researchers compared the effects of polylactic acid, low-density polyethylene, and polypropylene microplastics on greenhouse gas emissions and soil ecosystem functions in paddy soil over 41 days. They found that all three microplastic types increased soil carbon nutrients and pH, while suppressing CO2 and N2O emissions in most cases, leading to reduced global warming potential. The study suggests that different microplastic polymers have varying effects on soil ecosystem multifunctionality, with some types improving it and others having detrimental effects.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of polyamide microplastic in altering microbial consortium and carbon and nitrogen cycles in a simulated agricultural soil microcosm

Researchers added polyamide microplastics to simulated agricultural soil and tracked their effects on microbial communities and nutrient cycling over time. They found that microplastics altered the composition of soil bacteria and disrupted both carbon and nitrogen cycling processes. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in farmland can affect the invisible but essential microbial processes that maintain soil health and fertility.

2022 Chemosphere 86 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter microbial structure and assembly processes in different soil types: Driving effects of environmental factors

Researchers investigated how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities across different soil types. They found that PLA increased dissolved organic carbon and pH while decreasing nitrogen availability, whereas polyethylene had contrasting effects depending on soil type. The study reveals that microplastic impacts on microbial community structure and assembly processes are soil-type-specific, with dissolved organic carbon driving changes in red soil and pH being the primary factor in fluvo-aquic soil.

2025 Environmental Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Journal of Environmental Management 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Responses of microbial communities to the addition of different types of microplastics in agricultural soils

Researchers conducted a 90-day soil incubation study to examine how four types of microplastics — polyethylene, polypropylene, polyvinyl chloride, and polyethylene terephthalate — affect agricultural soil properties and microbial communities. They found that all four types significantly altered soil enzyme activities, nutrient content, and the diversity of microbial populations. The study indicates that microplastic contamination in farmland can disrupt soil health in ways that may affect agricultural productivity.

2024 Environmental Pollution 13 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups

Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in soil increased nitrification (a key step in the nitrogen cycle) and changed the composition of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These changes could affect soil fertility and the availability of nutrients for crops. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil may have hidden effects on food production by altering fundamental soil processes.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of polylactic acid microplastics on dissolved organic matter across soil types: Insights into molecular composition

Researchers investigated how biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect dissolved organic matter in three different types of paddy soil. They found that the microplastics altered the molecular composition of organic matter in soil-specific ways, with some soils showing increased humic substances and others showing more protein-like compounds. The study highlights that even biodegradable plastics can change soil chemistry, and the effects vary depending on soil type.

2025 Journal of Hazardous Materials 12 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on soil microbiome: The impacts of polymer type, shape, and concentration

Researchers examined how different microplastic polymer types, shapes, and concentrations affected soil bacterial communities, finding that these physical characteristics induced distinct shifts in soil microbiome composition and diversity.

2021 The Science of The Total Environment 215 citations
Article Tier 2

Characterizing Microplastic Pollution and Microbial Community Status in Rice Paddy Soils Across Varied Environmental Settings in Songjiang, Shanghai: An Analysis of Morpho-Chemical Characteristics

Researchers characterized microplastic pollution and associated microbial communities in rice paddy soils, finding widespread microplastic contamination that correlated with shifts in soil bacterial diversity. Plastic-associated microbial communities differed from bulk soil communities, suggesting microplastics create distinct microbial niches in agricultural environments.

2024 International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology (IJISRT) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter soil structure and microbial community composition

Researchers found that both conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics break down soil structure in similar ways, increasing the proportion of smaller soil clumps while reducing larger, more stable ones. The microplastics also significantly altered soil bacterial communities, with effects varying by particle size. This matters because changes to soil health can affect the food we grow and the broader ecosystem services that soil provides.

2024 Environment International 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Mechanisms of polyethylene microplastics on microbial community assembly and carbon-nitrogen transformation potentials in soils with different textures

Researchers used DNA sequencing to examine how polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon-nitrogen cycling across soils with different textures. They found that microplastics significantly shifted microbial community composition and altered the abundance of genes involved in carbon and nitrogen transformation, with effects varying by soil type. The study suggests that microplastic contamination may disrupt fundamental nutrient cycling processes differently depending on soil characteristics.

2025 Environmental Research 3 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

Effects of different concentrations and types of microplastics on bacteria and fungi in alkaline soil

Researchers examined how different types and concentrations of polyethylene, polystyrene, and PVC microplastics affect soil bacteria and fungi in alkaline soil over 310 days, finding that all three stimulated enzyme activities and shifted microbial community abundance patterns.

2021 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 166 citations
Article Tier 2

Investigation of Soil-Dwelling Bacterial Community Changes Induced by Microplastic Ex posure Using Amplicon Sequencing

Researchers analyzed soil bacterial community composition after microplastic contamination, finding that different polymer types caused distinct shifts in microbial diversity and functional groups, with implications for soil nutrient cycling and agricultural productivity.

2025 Korean Science Education Society for the Gifted
Article Tier 2

Differential impacts of polyethylene microplastic and additives on soil nitrogen cycling: A deeper dive into microbial interactions and transformation mechanisms

This study tested how polyethylene microplastics, their base resin, and plastic additives each affect nitrogen cycling in soil -- a process essential for plant growth. All three altered the soil's nitrogen balance and microbial communities in different ways, with microplastics increasing certain nitrogen transformation rates the most. These findings matter because disrupted nitrogen cycling in farmland could affect crop nutrition and ultimately the quality of food humans eat.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 34 citations
Article Tier 2

Low-density polyethylene microplastics alter chemical properties and microbial communities in agricultural soil

Researchers found that adding low-density polyethylene microplastics to agricultural soil at concentrations of 1% and above significantly altered soil chemistry and bacterial community structure. The study suggests that microplastic contamination from plastic mulch and other agricultural inputs may shift microbial diversity in ways that could affect long-term soil health.

2023 Scientific Reports 55 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics affect soybean rhizosphere microbial composition and function during vegetative and reproductive stages

Researchers conducted a 70-day greenhouse experiment to evaluate how four types of microplastics affect soybean rhizosphere bacterial communities in two soil types. The study found that polyamide microplastics consistently altered bacterial diversity and nitrogen cycling functions, while other plastic types had shorter-term effects, suggesting that different microplastics pose varying risks to agricultural soil microbial ecosystems.

2023 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyethylene microplastic and soil nitrogen dynamics: Unraveling the links between functional genes, microbial communities, and transformation processes

Researchers conducted a six-month experiment to understand how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect nitrogen cycling, a process critical for soil fertility and plant nutrition. They found that while total nitrogen levels stayed stable, microplastics significantly altered the forms of nitrogen present by increasing ammonium and nitrate while decreasing dissolved organic nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastics reshape soil microbial communities and their nitrogen-processing activities, potentially disrupting the natural nutrient balance in agricultural soils.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 102 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of three different microplastics on enzyme activities and microbial communities in soil

Researchers added three types of microplastics (film PE, fiber PP, and sphere PP) to loamy and sandy soils and measured effects on enzyme activities and microbial communities, finding that all three types altered microbial community structure and nutrient-cycling enzyme activities in soil-type-dependent ways.

2020 Water Environment Research 311 citations
Article Tier 2

Discrepant responses of bacterial community and enzyme activities to conventional and biodegradable microplastics in paddy soil

Researchers compared the soil effects of conventional polypropylene microplastics versus biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics in rice paddy soil over 41 days. Both types altered soil chemistry and bacterial communities, but they had different effects on enzyme activity, with PLA causing distinct changes to carbon and nitrogen cycling. This matters because biodegradable plastics, often assumed to be safer, still release microplastics that affect soil health and potentially food crops.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 78 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of different microplastics on the physicochemical properties and microbial diversity of rice rhizosphere soil

Researchers compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics, both fresh and aged, affect rice paddy soil properties and microbial communities. They found that aged microplastics had stronger effects than fresh ones, altering soil pH, nutrient availability, and the composition of root-associated bacteria. The study warns that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil health than conventional plastics, especially as they break down over time.

2025 Frontiers in Microbiology 17 citations