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61,005 resultsShowing papers similar to Comparing the long-term responses of soil microbial structures and diversities to polyethylene microplastics in different aggregate fractions
ClearEffects of polyethylene microplastics on properties, enzyme activities, and the succession of microbial community in Mollisol: At the aggregate level
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect microbial properties and enzyme activities in Mollisol farmland soil at the aggregate level, using 16S rDNA sequencing and enzyme activity measurements. Low-dose PE microplastics increased the proportion of large aggregates and decreased microbial diversity in certain aggregate size fractions, with effects varying by aggregate size.
Inhibitory effect of microplastics on soil extracellular enzymatic activities by changing soil properties and direct adsorption: An investigation at the aggregate-fraction level
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics affect the activity of soil enzymes over 150 days, examining responses across different soil aggregate sizes. They found that microplastics inhibited enzyme activities by altering soil properties, directly adsorbing enzymes, and competing with microorganisms for space. The study reveals that microplastic pollution can undermine key biological processes that maintain soil quality, with different soil aggregate fractions responding in distinct ways.
Microplastic effects on soil aggregation in sterilized and non-sterilized soils
Researchers tested how microplastics affect soil aggregate stability in both sterilized and non-sterilized soils, finding that microbial activity mediates much of the structural impact and that plastic type influences aggregation differently depending on soil biology.
Microplastic alteration in agricultural soils across Europe: Comparative study of MPs inside and outside soil aggregates over two years
Researchers tracked microplastic aging inside and outside soil aggregates in European agricultural soils over two years, comparing fields in multiple countries. Microplastics enclosed within aggregates showed less physicochemical aging than surface-exposed particles, suggesting that aggregate formation can temporarily protect plastics from degradation and prolong their persistence in soil.
Polymer-specific impacts of microplastics on mineral retention and soil stability
A laboratory study tested six common plastic polymers in soil and found polymer-specific effects on mineral retention and soil aggregate stability, with some MPs reducing soil structure while others had minimal impact, depending on polymer chemistry and surface interactions with soil particles.
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.
Microplastic Effects on Soil Aggregation in Sterilized and Non‐Sterilized Soils
Researchers tested how microplastics affect soil aggregation in both sterilized and biologically active soils, finding that microplastic effects on aggregate stability were strongly mediated by the presence of soil microorganisms. Biologically active soils showed different responses than sterile soils, highlighting the role of the soil microbiome.
Microplastics InfluenceDissolved Organic Matter TransformationMediated by Microbiomes in Soil Aggregates
A 450-day incubation experiment found that microplastics altered dissolved organic matter transformation in different soil aggregate fractions by modifying microbial community composition and activity, potentially affecting long-term soil carbon dynamics. (Duplicate record of ID 10767.)
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.
[Interaction between microplastics and microorganisms in soil environment: a review].
This review examines how microplastics alter soil microbial community structure and diversity, and how microorganisms in turn colonize plastic surfaces and degrade them through extracellular enzymes — with degradation efficiency dependent on polymer properties and environmental conditions.
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.
The distribution of pristine and aged low density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in soil aggregate fractions
Researchers investigated how pristine and artificially weathered low-density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics redistribute across soil aggregate fractions during aggregation, adding particles at low concentration to silt loam and loam soils amended with organic matter over a two-month incubation period. They found that weathering significantly altered microplastic surface properties, which in turn affected how particles interacted with and distributed within soil aggregate fractions during soil formation.
Influence of microplastics on soil aggregate formation: Insights into biological binding agents
A laboratory experiment found that polyethylene microplastics in different shapes (granules, fibers, and films) and aging states significantly alter how soil particles clump together into aggregates, with effects depending on the plastic's shape and the soil's organic matter content. Disruption of soil aggregation by microplastics matters because aggregate structure controls water retention, aeration, and microbial habitat — all fundamental to healthy, productive soils.
Effects of the oversized microplastic pollution layer on soil aggregates and organic carbon at different soil depths
Researchers examined how oversized microplastic pollution layers in soil affect aggregate stability and organic carbon at different depths, finding that plastic films disrupted soil aggregate formation and altered carbon distribution, with effects varying by soil depth and plastic concentration.
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.
Small-size polyethylene and polylactic microplastic alterations on soil aggregate formation with soil sterilization
Researchers tested how small polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics affect the formation of soil clumps, called aggregates, which are important for healthy soil structure. The microplastics changed aggregate stability through physical interactions rather than by harming soil microbes. This matters because soil structure affects how well crops grow, and widespread microplastic contamination in agricultural fields could subtly alter soil quality.
Size- and concentration-dependent effects of microplastics on soil aggregate formation and properties
This study tested how polyethylene microplastics of different sizes and amounts affect soil structure, finding that smaller particles cause more damage. As microplastics break down into smaller pieces over time, they increasingly disrupt soil aggregates, reduce water stability, and alter soil density. This matters for human health because degraded soil affects food production and can change how contaminants move through the environment.
[Effects of Polyethylene Microplastics on Soil Nutrients and Enzyme Activities].
Researchers studied how different concentrations and sizes of polyethylene microplastics affect soil chemistry and enzyme activity over four months. They found that smaller microplastics had a greater impact on soil nutrient cycling than larger ones, and that higher concentrations more significantly disrupted enzyme functions critical for soil health. The study indicates that microplastic pollution in agricultural soils could impair the biological processes that maintain soil fertility.
Microplastic incorporation into soil aggregates: Insights from two-year field experiments in European agricultural topsoils
Researchers conducted two-year field experiments in European agricultural topsoils comparing microplastic incorporation into soil aggregates from biodegradable and conventional plastic mulch films, finding that soil properties and MP size and shape influence the degree of occlusion, with aggregate embedment potentially protecting MPs from further degradation.
Assessing Microplastic Contamination Effects on Soil Microbial Communities in Agricultural Land
This study sampled agricultural soils with varying degrees of microplastic contamination to assess effects on microbial diversity, abundance, and enzymatic activity, finding that higher microplastic concentrations reduced microbial diversity and suppressed nutrient-cycling enzyme activity.
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.
Microplastic effects on soil system parameters: a meta-analysis study
Microplastics in soil did not significantly affect dissolved organic carbon, nutrient availability, microbial diversity, or crop biomass, but they did significantly increase soil microorganism abundance and decrease water-stable macro-aggregates, pointing to soil structure degradation as the primary concern.
The distribution of pristine and aged low density polyethylene and polyethylene terephthalate microplastics in soil aggregate fractions
Researchers investigated how pristine and aged low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) microplastics distribute across soil aggregate size fractions, examining whether weathering alters interactions between plastic particles and the soil matrix. The study found that aging significantly modified microplastic surface properties and changed their redistribution patterns within aggregate fractions compared to pristine particles.
Impacts of Microplastics on the Soil Biophysical Environment
Four common microplastic types (polyacrylic fibers, polyamide beads, polyester fibers, PE fragments) were added to loamy sand soil at environmentally relevant concentrations in a garden experiment and effects on soil-water relationships, structure, and microbial function were measured over 5 weeks. Results showed that microplastics altered water repellency, aggregate stability, and microbial activity in a plastic-type-dependent manner, confirming that microplastics can disrupt fundamental soil biophysical processes.