Papers

20 results
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Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and biochar on soil cadmium availability and wheat plant performance

Researchers found that fresh microplastics increased soil cadmium availability and plant uptake in wheat, and when combined with biochar, microplastics further amplified cadmium mobilization by decreasing soil pH and increasing dissolved organic matter, complicating biochar-based soil remediation strategies.

2023 GCB Bioenergy 31 citations
Article Tier 2

Competitive adsorption behaviors and mechanisms of Cd, Ni, and Cu by biochar when coexisting with microplastics under single, binary, and ternary systems

Researchers studied how biochar absorbs heavy metals like cadmium, nickel, and copper when microplastics are also present in the soil. They found that microplastics competed with biochar for metal binding, reducing its effectiveness as a soil amendment. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may undermine common remediation strategies that rely on biochar to immobilize toxic metals.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 64 citations
Article Tier 2

Adsorption, immobilization mechanisms and potential risks of Cd in soil-biochar-microplastics system

This study examined how varying concentrations (0-10%) of polyethylene microplastics affect biochar's capacity to adsorb and immobilize cadmium (Cd) in soil. Microplastics increased biochar's Cd adsorption by up to 33% but simultaneously elevated Cd leaching risk, highlighting a complex trade-off in using biochar for heavy metal remediation in microplastic-contaminated soils.

2025 Journal of Environmental Management 4 citations
Clinical Trial Tier 1

Biochar Offsets Microplastic-Induced Cadmium Mobilization and Plant Accumulation in Contaminated Soils

This greenhouse study found that microplastics in soil can increase how much cadmium (a toxic heavy metal) is absorbed by crops. Adding biochar to the soil helped counteract this effect, reducing cadmium uptake by plants — a promising finding for protecting food safety in contaminated farmland.

2026 Water Air & Soil Pollution
Article Tier 2

Impact mechanisms of polyethylene microplastic on Cd adsorption and passivation by KMnO4-modified biochar in different soils

Researchers investigated how polyethylene microplastics affect cadmium (Cd) adsorption and passivation by KMnO4-modified biochar across 50 soil combinations varying in soil type, Cd concentration, and microplastic content. Microplastics increased biochar's Cd adsorption capacity by 1.5-33.1% depending on concentration but also increased Cd leaching risk at higher microplastic loads.

2025 Environmental Research 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Enhanced Cadmium Adsorption Dynamics in Water and Soil by Polystyrene Microplastics and Biochar

Researchers studied how polystyrene microplastics and biochar interact with cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, in water and soil systems. They found that particle size significantly influenced how much cadmium was adsorbed, with the combination of microplastics and biochar creating complex dynamics that affected metal mobility. The findings matter because microplastics in agricultural soils may alter how toxic metals move through the environment and into food crops.

2024 Nanomaterials 7 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Growth of Wheat Seedlings in Biochar Remediation of Cd‐Contaminated Soil

Researchers conducted a pot experiment examining how biodegradable PLA and non-biodegradable PA6 microplastics affect wheat seedling growth in cadmium-contaminated soil amended with biochar. The study found that the presence of microplastics influenced the effectiveness of biochar in promoting plant growth under cadmium stress, with differential effects depending on plastic type.

2025 Land Degradation and Development
Article Tier 2

Biochar alters chemical and microbial properties of microplastic-contaminated soil

Researchers found that biochar amendments improved chemical and microbial properties of microplastic-contaminated soil, with effects varying by biochar type and water conditions, suggesting biochar as a potential remediation tool for plastic-polluted agricultural soils.

2022 Environmental Research 108 citations
Article Tier 2

Typical microplastics in field and facility agriculture dynamically affect available cadmium in different soil types through physicochemical dynamics of carbon, iron and microbes

Researchers found that polyurethane and polypropylene microplastics dynamically affect cadmium availability in different soil types through changes in soil carbon chemistry, iron mineral forms, and microbial community composition, with effects varying between field and greenhouse agricultural conditions.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 37 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of micro/nanoplastics on physicochemical properties and cadmium(II)-sorption capacity of pig-bone biochar

Laboratory experiments found that when polystyrene nanoplastics and microplastics interact with pig-bone biochar — a material used to remove heavy metals from soil — the effects depend on particle size: smaller biochar had its surface area reduced by the plastics, while larger biochar showed increased cadmium removal capacity after contact with nanoplastics. The results suggest that microplastics in soils can subtly alter the performance of remediation materials, which is important for predicting how biochar behaves in contaminated agricultural soils where plastics are also present.

2026 Environmental Technology & Innovation
Article Tier 2

Remediation of Coastal Wetland Soils Co-Contaminated with Microplastics and Cadmium Using Spartina alterniflora Biochar: Soil Quality, Microbial Communities, and Plant Growth Responses

Researchers tested whether Spartina alterniflora-derived biochar applied at 2% could remediate coastal wetland soils co-contaminated with cadmium and polyethylene or polylactic acid microplastics. Biochar significantly improved soil pH, organic matter, and microbial diversity while reducing cadmium bioavailability and plant uptake, making it a promising amendment for combined metal-plastic contaminated soils.

2025 Agronomy 2 citations
Article Tier 2

How biochar works, and when it doesn't: A review of mechanisms controlling soil and plant responses to biochar

This comprehensive review synthesizes 20 years of research on biochar, a charcoal-like material made from organic waste that can improve soil health and reduce pollution. Biochar can reduce plant uptake of heavy metals by 17-39% and increase nutrient availability, making it potentially useful for cleaning up microplastic-contaminated soils. While not directly about microplastics, the findings are relevant because biochar could help mitigate the effects of soil pollutants that microplastics carry and concentrate.

2021 GCB Bioenergy 872 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Microplastics on the Adsorption and Desorption Properties of Cadmium in Soil

Polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics were found to reduce soil's capacity to adsorb cadmium, a toxic heavy metal, raising concerns that microplastic contamination in farmland soils could increase the mobility and risk of heavy metal pollutants.

2022 Bulletin of Environmental Contamination and Toxicology 4 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics in soils with contrasting texture, organic carbon and mineralogy: changes in cadmium adsorption forms and their mobility in soil columns

This study investigated how high-density polyethylene microplastics alter the behavior of cadmium — a toxic heavy metal — in soils with different textures, organic carbon contents, and mineral compositions. Using soil column experiments, researchers found that microplastics changed how cadmium binds to soil particles and how easily it leaches downward, with effects varying depending on the soil type and microplastic particle size. Since cadmium is a known carcinogen and agricultural soils commonly contain both microplastics and heavy metals, understanding their interactions is critical for food safety.

2025 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Polypropylene microplastics affect the distribution and bioavailability of cadmium by changing soil components during soil aging

A 180-day soil aging experiment with polypropylene microplastics at 2-10% concentration showed that microplastics altered the distribution of cadmium between soil particle-associated organic matter, organo-mineral complexes, and mineral fractions. Higher microplastic concentrations shifted cadmium toward more stable organo-mineral associations, reducing its bioavailability over time.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 73 citations
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics and cadmium co-contamination on soil properties, maize (Zea mays L.) growth characteristics, and cadmium accumulation in maize in loessial soil-maize systems

Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and cadmium on soil properties and maize growth through pot experiments. They found that microplastics altered soil nutrient availability and, depending on size and concentration, either increased or decreased cadmium uptake by the plants. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can change how crops absorb toxic heavy metals, with potential implications for food safety.

2024 Environmental Pollution 27 citations
Article Tier 2

Role of Biochar and Microbes in Remediation of Microplastics in Soil

This review examines how biochar and soil microbes can be combined to remediate microplastic-contaminated soils, synthesizing evidence for biochar's adsorption capacity and microbial degradation pathways that reduce microplastic persistence and toxicity.

2025 Journal of Innovative Solutions for Eco-Environmental Sustainability
Article Tier 2

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.

2021 Environmental Science and Pollution Research 93 citations
Article Tier 2

New insights into the decrease in Cd2+ bioavailability in sediments by microplastics: Role of geochemical properties

Researchers investigated how polyethylene terephthalate microplastics alter the geochemical properties of sediments in ways that reduce the bioavailability of cadmium. PET microplastics shifted cadmium from the readily exchangeable fraction to the organically bound fraction, and the associated changes in microbial activity and organic carbon explained much of the reduction in cadmium bioavailability.

2022 Journal of Hazardous Materials 44 citations