Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Peer Review #2 of "Development of an inexpensive matrix-assisted laser desorption—time of flight mass spectrometry method for the identification of endophytes and rhizobacteria cultured from the microbiome associated with maize (v0.1)"

This is a peer review document evaluating a method paper about using mass spectrometry to identify bacteria living in association with maize plants. It is an editorial review, not a primary research paper, with no direct relevance to microplastic or human health research.

2021
Article Tier 2

Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the microbial community structure of maize rhizosphere soil

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics from agricultural films affect the microbial communities in crop root zones (rhizosphere), finding shifts in bacterial diversity and function. Disrupting soil microbiomes through microplastic contamination could have downstream effects on soil fertility and crop health.

2021 中国生态农业学报 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Alteration of the Rhizosphere Microbiota and Growth Performance of Barley Infected with Fusarium graminearum and Screening of an Antagonistic Bacterial Strain (Bacillus amyloliquefaciens)

Researchers examined how polyethylene microplastics alter the rhizosphere microbiome and growth performance of barley infected with a root pathogen, finding that MP contamination shifted microbial community composition and exacerbated disease symptoms in infected plants.

2025 Microorganisms
Article Tier 2

Identification of microplastic-associated microbial communities from various stages of wastewater treatment and recipient surface waters using MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry

Researchers deployed six polymer types at different stages of wastewater treatment across three Hungarian plants and used MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry to identify the bacteria colonizing microplastic surfaces, finding distinct microbial communities that may act as vectors for antibiotic resistance.

2025 Journal of Central European Green Innovation
Article Tier 2

Host species and microplastics differentiate the crop root endophytic antibiotic resistome

Researchers found that crop species and microplastic contamination significantly shape the antibiotic resistance gene profile in plant root endophytes, with microplastics enhancing resistance gene abundance via changes in root-associated microbial communities.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Influence of soil microplastic contamination on maize (Zea mays) development and microbial dynamics

Researchers grew maize (corn) in soil contaminated with varying amounts of microplastics and found that higher microplastic levels disrupted soil bacteria and fungi, caused leaf damage like yellowing and tissue death, and led to elevated heavy metals in plant tissue above safe limits. The results point to serious risks microplastics pose to crop health, soil ecosystems, and food safety.

2024 Discover Environment 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Plant pathogenesis: Toward multidimensional understanding of the microbiome

This review explores how the full community of microorganisms on a plant, not just single pathogens, contributes to plant disease. The authors introduce the concept of a 'pathobiome,' the disease-promoting portion of a plant's microbiome that can be influenced by environmental stressors. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because soil microplastic contamination can alter plant-associated microbial communities in ways that may promote crop diseases.

2023 iMeta 33 citations
Article Tier 2

‘OMICS’ Studies on Rhizosphere-Microorganism Interactions in Soils

This review covers OMICS approaches—genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics—used to study how plant root microbiomes interact with soil in the context of pollutants including microplastics and heavy metals. It highlights how rhizosphere microorganisms mediate phytoremediation and discusses multi-resistance challenges when pharmaceuticals and pesticides co-contaminate soils.

2025 BENTHAM SCIENCE PUBLISHERS eBooks
Article Tier 2

Comparative effect of silver nanoparticles on maize rhizoplane microbiome in initial phaseof plants growth

This is not about microplastics — it is a soil microbiology study examining how five different forms of silver nanoparticles with varying surface properties affect the bacterial and fungal communities in the root zone of maize seedlings.

2024 International Agrophysics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Metagenome analysis of a soil and marine environment

This metagenomics thesis analyzed microbial communities on marine microplastics and in plant root zones, finding that the biofilm on plastic particles includes bacteria that may be capable of plastic degradation. Identifying the composition and function of these microbial communities could help in the discovery of plastic-degrading microorganisms.

2014 Flanders Marine Institute (Flanders Marine Institute)
Article Tier 2

Diversity and interactions of rhizobacteria determine multinutrient traits in tomato host plants under nitrogen and water disturbances

Researchers investigated how root-associated bacteria help tomato plants maintain nutrient uptake under nitrogen and water stress conditions. They found that microbial diversity and species interactions were key factors in supporting the plant's ability to acquire multiple nutrients simultaneously. While not directly about microplastics, the study advances understanding of soil microbiome dynamics that are relevant to agricultural systems increasingly affected by plastic contamination.

2024 Horticulture Research 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Reprogramming of microbial community in barley root endosphere and rhizosphere soil by polystyrene plastics with different particle sizes

Barley plants grown in polystyrene microplastic- and nanoplastic-contaminated soil showed altered microbial communities in both the root endosphere and rhizosphere, suggesting plastic pollution can reshape plant-associated microbiomes. These shifts could have downstream consequences for plant health and soil nutrient cycling.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on rhizosphere and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi of Zea mays

Researchers exposed maize to two types of polyethylene microplastics (0.1% and 0.5% w/w) in glasshouse conditions for seven weeks and measured effects on rhizosphere fungi and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi. Mycorrhizal root colonization, spore abundance, and fungal diversity were significantly reduced in a concentration-dependent manner, potentially impairing plant nutrient uptake.

2025 Ceylon Journal of Science 2 citations
Article Tier 2

Harnessing beneficial microbes to counteract the negative impact of microplastics (raw and aged) on plant health and oxidative balance

Researchers tested whether combined microbial inoculation could mitigate the oxidative stress and growth inhibition caused by aged microplastics in maize. Microbial consortia effectively restored antioxidant defenses and growth by alleviating MP-induced disruptions to proline and MAPK stress pathways.

2025 Plant Stress
Article Tier 2

Image 3_Synthetic microbiota for microplastic degradation modulates rhizosphere fungal diversity and metabolic function in highland barley.tif

Researchers examined the individual and combined effects of polystyrene microplastics and a synthetic microbiota consortium (MPDSM) designed for plastic degradation on rhizosphere fungal diversity and grain nutritional quality in highland barley. The MPDSM achieved up to 19.9% weight loss in large microplastic particles and modulated rhizosphere fungal communities, suggesting microbial consortia can partially mitigate crop impacts from microplastic contamination.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Regulatory Mechanisms of Plant Growth-Promoting Bacteria in Alleviating Microplastic and Heavy Metal Combined Pollution: Insights from Plant Growth and Metagenomic Analysis

Researchers used metagenomic sequencing to investigate how plant growth-promoting bacteria (PGPB) mitigate the combined toxicity of microplastics and heavy metals on plant growth. PGPB inoculation restored rhizosphere microbial function and reduced plant stress, revealing microbiome-mediated mechanisms for alleviating mixed pollutant toxicity.

2025 Agronomy
Article Tier 2

Image 1_Synthetic microbiota for microplastic degradation modulates rhizosphere fungal diversity and metabolic function in highland barley.tif

Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics and a microplastic-degrading synthetic microbiota consortium (MPDSM) affect highland barley grain nutrition and rhizosphere fungal communities, finding the MPDSM achieved up to 19.9% plastic weight reduction. The study demonstrates that microbiome-based remediation can mitigate some of the negative effects of microplastic contamination on crop rhizosphere ecology.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

The Impact of Metolachlor Applications and Phytoremediation Processes on Soil Microorganisms: Insights from Functional Metagenomics Analysis

This paper is not about microplastics — it studies how phytoremediation plants affect soil microbial biodiversity in fields contaminated with the herbicide metolachlor, with no connection to microplastic pollution.

2024 Journal of Xenobiotics 3 citations
Article Tier 2

[Effects of Microplastic High-density Polyethylene on Cotton Growth, Occurrence of Fusarium wilt, and Rhizosphere Soil Bacterial Community].

High-throughput sequencing revealed that 1% high-density polyethylene microplastics significantly reduced bacterial community richness in cotton rhizosphere soil and increased the incidence of Fusarium wilt by 33.3%, likely by altering beneficial microbial communities and reducing plant disease resistance.

2023 PubMed 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of microplastics on the soil-plant system: A perspective on rhizosphere microbial community and soil element cycling

This study provides supporting dataset for a review examining how microplastics affect soil-plant systems, with a focus on rhizosphere microbial community composition and element cycling processes in contaminated soils.

2024 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Image 2_Synthetic microbiota for microplastic degradation modulates rhizosphere fungal diversity and metabolic function in highland barley.tif

Researchers investigated the effects of polystyrene microplastics and a synthetic microbiota consortium (MPDSM) designed for plastic degradation on rhizosphere fungal communities and grain nutritional quality in highland barley. The MPDSM significantly enhanced microplastic degradation and modulated rhizosphere fungal diversity and metabolic function compared to microplastic-only treatments.

2025 Figshare
Article Tier 2

Maize root-soil microbial interactions and their effects on soil health and yield

Researchers examined interactions between maize roots and soil microbial communities, investigating how root-microbe dynamics influence soil health indicators and crop yield. The study found specific rhizosphere microbial associations that promote nutrient availability and plant productivity.

2024 TURKISH JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURE AND FORESTRY
Article Tier 2

Agri-plastics in soils drive changes in the rhizosphere bacterial community and plant transcriptome in Arabidopsis

Researchers grew Arabidopsis thaliana in soils mixed with plastic film residues (≥5 mm at 5% w/w) and examined rhizosphere bacterial communities and plant gene expression. Plastic residues significantly altered rhizobacterial composition without affecting plant growth or flowering, suggesting soil microbiome disruption may precede visible plant effects.

2025 Journal of Experimental Botany
Article Tier 2

Impact of Nanoplastic Contamination on Rhizosphere Microbiome and Plant Phenotype

This study examined how nanoplastic contamination affects the rhizosphere microbiome (soil bacteria around plant roots) and plant growth. Nanoplastic exposure altered soil microbial communities and reduced plant growth, suggesting these tiny plastic particles could disrupt the soil ecosystems that support food production.

2023