Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Chemical pollution and microbiomes responses

This paper reviewed how chemical pollution affects microbial community composition and function across different environments. Exposure to pollutants including plastics, heavy metals, and pesticides can disrupt microbial diversity and the ecosystem services microbes provide. The review calls for greater integration of microbiome science into environmental risk assessment.

2023 HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe)
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastics predominantly affect gut microbiota by altering community structure rather than richness and diversity: A meta-analysis of aquatic animals

A phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 63 studies across 31 aquatic species found that microplastics significantly alter gut microbiota community structure — with between-group distances 87.75% higher than within-group distances — even at environmentally relevant concentrations. However, microplastics did not significantly affect species richness or Shannon diversity, indicating structural reorganization rather than diversity loss.

2024 Environmental Pollution 24 citations
Article Tier 2

Microbiomes of the Aquatic Environment

This review examines the diversity and ecological roles of microbial communities in aquatic environments, covering microbiomes associated with aquatic insects, plants, fish, phytoplankton, macrophytes, and microplastics, and their interconnected functions in nutrient cycling and primary production. The authors discuss how climate change, eutrophication, and pollution are shifting microbial community composition in ways that threaten the functioning of freshwater and marine ecosystems.

2024
Article Tier 2

Microbiome: A forgotten target of environmental micro(nano)plastics?

This review examines how micro- and nanoplastics affect the microbiome of various organisms, an area that has received less attention than other toxicological endpoints. Researchers found that most studies focused on polystyrene particles and that exposure consistently disrupted microbiome composition, triggered immune responses, and altered enzyme activity across organisms including crustaceans, fish, and mammals. The study highlights the microbiome as an important but often overlooked target of microplastic pollution.

2022 The Science of The Total Environment 55 citations
Article Tier 2

The effects of exposure to microplastics and pollutants on the arthropod microbiome

This thesis investigated how microplastics and other pollutants (pesticides, detergents, metals) affect the gut microbiome of freshwater invertebrates. Disruption of the host-microbiome relationship by microplastics could impair immune function and overall health in aquatic organisms that form important parts of the food web.

2021 Digital comprehensive summaries of Uppsala dissertations from the Faculty of Science and Technology
Article Tier 2

Iva xanthiifolia leaf extract reduced the diversity of indigenous plant rhizosphere bacteria

Researchers investigated how Iva xanthiifolia leaf extract altered the diversity of indigenous plant rhizosphere bacteria, finding that the invasive plant's leaf material reduced bacterial diversity and may facilitate invasion by disrupting the native soil microbiome.

2023 BMC Plant Biology 5 citations
Article Tier 2

Ecological risks in a ‘plastic’ world: A threat to biological diversity?

This review synthesized evidence on how microplastic pollution affects biological diversity and community structure across aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, finding that most studies document effects at the individual level but that community- and ecosystem-level impacts remain poorly characterized.

2021 Journal of Hazardous Materials 134 citations
Article Tier 2

How microplastics influence the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates: A review

This review examines how microplastics affect the health and microbiota of aquatic invertebrates, an area that has received less attention than fish studies. Researchers summarize evidence showing that microplastics cause toxicity at biological and molecular levels, alter microbial communities associated with invertebrate hosts, and interact with climate change and other pollutants to produce combined effects. The study highlights significant knowledge gaps and proposes future research directions for understanding microplastic impacts on aquatic ecosystems.

2025 Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology Part C Toxicology & Pharmacology 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Improving the assessment of ecosystem and wildlife health: microbiome as an early indicator

Researchers reviewed evidence that the microbiome — the community of microorganisms living in environments and within animals — can serve as an early warning system for ecosystem disturbance, rapidly reflecting the impact of human activities before other signs of harm are visible.

2023 Current Opinion in Biotechnology 45 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Nonbiodegradable microplastic types determine the diversity and structure of soil microbial communities: A meta-analysis

A global meta-analysis of 95 studies found that nonbiodegradable microplastics increased soil active microbial biomass by 42% while simultaneously decreasing bacterial Shannon and Chao1 diversity indices by 2-3%. This paradox suggests microplastics promote the growth of specific microbial taxa while suppressing overall diversity, potentially disrupting soil biogeochemical cycles.

2024 Environmental Research 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics negatively affect soil fauna but stimulate microbial activity: insights from a field-based microplastic addition experiment

A meta-analysis of microplastic studies found that microplastics negatively affect soil fauna abundance and diversity while stimulating soil microbial activity, based on data from multiple laboratory experiments. The opposing effects on fauna and microbes suggest that microplastics can shift soil community structure in ways that alter ecosystem functions like decomposition and nutrient cycling.

2020 Proceedings of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences 196 citations
Article Tier 2

Asymmetric succession in soil microbial communities enhances the competitive advantage of invasive alien plants

Researchers found that invasive plant species gain a competitive edge by recruiting beneficial soil microbes from surrounding native soil, creating an "asymmetric" shift where invasive plants build supportive microbial communities faster than native plants can. This biological feedback loop helps explain why invasive plants spread so successfully and points to new strategies for controlling them.

2024 Microbiome 20 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic exposure across trophic levels: effects on the host–microbiota of freshwater organisms

Researchers examined how microplastic exposure across trophic levels affects the gut microbiota of freshwater organisms, finding that microplastics alter microbial community composition and that effects can transfer through food web interactions.

2022 Environmental Microbiome 29 citations
Article Tier 2

Abiotic and Biotic Effects on Microbial Diversity of Small Water Bodies in and around Towns

Metagenomic analysis of microbial communities in nine small urban water bodies across four seasons found that water quality had a greater influence on microbial community structure than habitat type, with alien species also contributing significantly to microbial diversity shifts.

2023 Sustainability 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Rhizosphere Keystone Microbiomes Promote Invasive Plant Growth under PLA and PVC Microplastic Stress: A Comparative Study with Native Species

Researchers compared how invasive and native plant species respond to soil contaminated with biodegradable and non-biodegradable microplastics. Invasive plants experienced less growth inhibition and selectively enriched beneficial bacteria in their root zones, forming more stable microbial networks. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in soils may inadvertently give invasive species a competitive advantage over native plants.

2025 Environmental Science & Technology 1 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Global meta-analysis reveals differential effects of microplastics on soil ecosystem

This meta-analysis pooled data from 114 studies to understand how microplastics affect soil ecosystems at different concentrations. Higher microplastic levels reduced soil organic matter and microbial activity, suggesting that increasing plastic pollution could degrade the soil that supports our food supply.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 87 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Microplastics alter the equilibrium of plant-soil-microbial system: A meta-analysis

This meta-analysis pools data from multiple studies to show that microplastics disrupt the balance between plants, soil, and soil microbes. The effects vary depending on the type, size, and concentration of microplastics, suggesting that these tiny plastic particles can alter how nutrients cycle through the soil and ultimately affect the food we grow.

2024 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 23 citations
Article Tier 2

RhizosphereKeystoneMicrobiomes Promote InvasivePlant Growth under PLA and PVC Microplastic Stress: A ComparativeStudy with Native Species

A mesocosm experiment compared the growth responses of invasive and native plant species to PLA (biodegradable) and PVC (conventional) microplastics in soil. Invasive plants outperformed native species under MP stress partly due to shifts in rhizosphere keystone microbiomes, suggesting microplastics may amplify invasion success.

2025 Figshare
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Meta-analysis reveals differential impacts of microplastics on soil biota

Soil microplastic contamination ranged from 0.34 to over 410,000 items/kg across sites, and their presence significantly increased mortality rates and decreased individual numbers, diversity, and reproduction of soil organisms, though biomass was unaffected due to opposing effects on different organism groups.

2022 Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 72 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics pollution in sediments on physicochemical properties and microbial community distribution in coastal Spartina alterniflora-invaded wetlands

This study examined how microplastic pollution in sediments affects the physicochemical properties and microbial communities of coastal wetlands invaded by Spartina alterniflora. MP contamination combined with invasive plant spread altered sediment nitrogen cycling and microbial diversity, compounding ecological degradation in these coastal ecosystems.

2024 Frontiers in Marine Science 4 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic Exposure Across Trophic Levels: Effects on the Host Microbiota of Freshwater Organisms

Researchers investigated how microplastic exposure affects the gut bacteria communities of freshwater organisms including fish, invertebrates, and crustaceans. Microplastics—particularly when combined with pesticides—altered gut microbiota composition, which could impair digestion, immunity, and overall health of freshwater species.

2021 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Human impact on symbioses between aquatic organisms and microbes

This review examined how human-driven stressors — including pollution, climate change, and habitat modification — disrupt beneficial microbial symbioses in aquatic organisms, arguing that disrupted host-microbe relationships represent an underappreciated pathway through which environmental degradation harms aquatic ecosystems.

2021 Aquatic Microbial Ecology 30 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

Microplastics and biodiversity: A comprehensive analysis of their ecological impact

This comprehensive analysis examined the ecological impacts of microplastics on biodiversity, reviewing evidence of harm to species across marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. The review found widespread negative effects on reproduction, behavior, and survival that threaten biodiversity at multiple levels.

2024 INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES