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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Microplastics change soil properties, heavy metal availability and bacterial community in a Pb-Zn-contaminated soil
ClearTraditional microplastics alter microbial community, metabolites and nutrition in heavy metal-contaminated coastal saline soil
Researchers added three types of microplastics to coastal soil already contaminated with heavy metals (cadmium, copper, and zinc), finding that the plastics altered soil chemistry, shifted microbial communities, disrupted metabolic pathways, and changed how available the toxic metals were to organisms. These findings suggest microplastics can worsen existing heavy metal pollution by changing how metals move through soil ecosystems.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Bacterial community in the buckwheat rhizosphere responds more sensitively to single microplastics in lead-contaminated soil compared to the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi community
Researchers examined how polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics, combined with lead contamination, affect buckwheat rhizosphere microbial communities. They found that bacterial communities responded more sensitively to microplastic exposure than arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, with microplastics altering soil bacterial diversity and composition even at low concentrations. The study suggests that microplastics in heavy metal-contaminated agricultural soils may disrupt the beneficial microbial communities that support crop growth.
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.
Metal type and aggregate microenvironment govern the response sequence of speciation transformation of different heavy metals to microplastics in soil
A five-month soil incubation experiment showed that polyethylene microplastics shifted heavy metals like zinc and cadmium from bioavailable forms toward organic-bound forms in soil aggregates, reducing their immediate availability to plants and organisms. The effect varied by metal type and aggregate size, suggesting microplastics can alter the environmental behavior of multiple co-contaminants simultaneously.
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.
Microplastics modify plant-arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi systems in a Pb-Zn-contaminated soil
Researchers examined how six types of microplastics affect sweet sorghum growth and soil fungal communities in soil contaminated with lead and zinc. They found that microplastics generally did not inhibit plant growth and in some cases promoted it, but they increased the uptake of heavy metals into plant shoots. The study suggests that microplastics may worsen the risks of heavy metal contamination in agricultural soils by enhancing metal accumulation in crops.
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.
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.
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.
Effect of LDPE microplastics on chemical properties and microbial communities in soil
Low-density polyethylene microplastics were added to soil at varying concentrations, revealing dose-dependent effects on soil chemical properties and shifts in microbial community composition. Higher LDPE concentrations altered soil pH, nutrient availability, and bacterial diversity, raising concerns about plastic impacts on soil ecosystem function.
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.
Polyethylene and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate)-based biodegradable microplastics modulate the bioavailability and speciation of Cd and As in soil: Insights into transformation mechanisms
Biodegradable PBAT and conventional polyethylene microplastics added to soil were both found to alter soil physicochemical properties and change the speciation and bioavailability of heavy metals including lead and cadmium. The study highlights that both conventional and so-called biodegradable microplastics can exacerbate heavy metal risks in contaminated agricultural soils.
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.
Zinc-containing PVC microplastics reduce soil microbial activity and alter community structure in the plastisphere following UV-induced weathering
Researchers studied how zinc-containing PVC microplastics affect soil health before and after UV weathering and found that UV aging dramatically increased zinc release into soil. The weathered microplastics with high zinc content inhibited soil microbial activity, reduced bacterial diversity, and shifted community structure, highlighting how plastic additives can amplify the environmental impact of microplastic pollution in agricultural soils.