Papers

61,005 results
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Article Tier 2

Concentration‐ and Size‐Dependent Influences of Microplastics on Soil Hydraulic Properties and Water Flow

Researchers investigated how microplastic concentration and particle size affect soil hydraulic properties and water flow. They found that microplastic contamination reduced saturated conductivity by up to 50% and inhibited water infiltration, with higher concentrations and larger particle sizes leading to weaker soil water-holding capacity.

2025 European Journal of Soil Science 9 citations
Article Tier 2

Water retention and hydraulic properties of a natural soil subjected to microplastic contaminations and leachate exposures

Researchers studied how microplastic contamination affects the water-holding and flow properties of compacted soil, a scenario relevant to engineering applications like landfill liners. They found that microplastics altered the soil's ability to retain water and changed both saturated and unsaturated hydraulic conductivity, with effects varying by particle size and leachate age. The study suggests that microplastic-contaminated soils may behave differently than expected in engineered structures.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 25 citations
Article Tier 2

Effect of Polypropylene Microplastic on Soil Water Characteristic Curve

Researchers experimentally measured the effect of polypropylene microplastics of varying sizes and concentrations on the soil water characteristic curve of silty sand, finding that microplastic addition alters soil pore structure in ways that modify water retention and drainage behavior with implications for agricultural productivity.

2025
Article Tier 2

Effects of Microplastics on Soil Hydraulic Properties

Researchers investigated how pristine and UV-weathered polypropylene granules and polyester fibers affect soil hydraulic properties in a silt loam soil, finding that microplastic incorporation altered bulk density, saturated hydraulic conductivity, water holding capacity, and aggregate stability in ways that depended on particle shape and weathering state.

2022 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Saturated hydraulic conductivity in microplastics incorporated soils: Effects of soil texture, polymer type, particle size, and concentration

Researchers measured saturated hydraulic conductivity in loam and sandy loam soils amended with PET, PVC, and PE microplastics of two size classes, finding that PET particles in sandy loam produced the highest conductivity values and that polymer hydrophobicity and particle size both influence soil water flow.

2025 Discover Polymers.
Article Tier 2

Effects of microplastics on the water characteristic curve of soils with different textures

Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations and sizes affect the water-holding properties of sandy and loamy soils. The study found that low concentrations had minimal impact, while high concentrations significantly altered soil water characteristics, with small microplastics improving water retention in loamy soil and larger particles reducing water content in sandy soil.

2023 Chemosphere 133 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics effects on wettability, pore sizes and saturated hydraulic conductivity of a loess topsoil

Researchers tested how polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and polystyrene microplastics at concentrations already found in farmland soils affect key physical properties of agricultural soil. They found that adding microplastics reduced the soil's ability to conduct water and hold moisture, with larger particles at higher concentrations causing the greatest changes. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils could alter water movement and availability in ways that may affect crop growth.

2023 Geoderma 65 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastics alter soil structural stability as quantified by high-energy moisture characteristics

Scientists found that adding polypropylene and polyethylene microplastic fibers to soil changed its physical structure by altering pore spaces and weakening soil aggregates. Larger fiber sizes and higher concentrations caused more disruption to soil water retention and drainage. These changes to soil structure could affect crop growth and water management on farms where microplastic contamination from irrigation or mulch films has accumulated.

2024 Journal of Hazardous Materials 19 citations
Article Tier 2

Dry‐wet alternation and microplastics particle size effects on and contributions to soil water and soil pore properties

Researchers examined how microplastics of different particle sizes affect soil water properties and pore characteristics under repeated drying-wetting cycles typical of agricultural fields. They found that both microplastic size and the drying-wetting alternation influenced soil hydraulic parameters and pore distributions. The study suggests that microplastic residues in farmland soils may alter water retention and movement in ways that could affect agricultural productivity.

2024 European Journal of Soil Science 14 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil texture governs the influence of different microplastics on soil hydraulic properties

This study tested how different types of microplastics affect soil hydraulic properties across varying soil textures, finding that soil texture strongly governs the magnitude of MP impacts on water retention and hydraulic conductivity, with fine-textured soils showing different responses than coarse-textured ones.

2025 Vadose Zone Journal 3 citations
Article Tier 2

Soil texture is an important factor determining how microplastics affect soil hydraulic characteristics

This study tested how polypropylene microplastics of different sizes affect how water moves through three types of soil. Adding microplastics reduced the soil's ability to absorb and hold water by up to 96%, with clay soils being the most affected. These changes to soil water flow could affect crop growth and potentially increase the movement of other pollutants through contaminated farmland.

2022 Environment International 266 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystem on index and engineering properties of sandy soil: An experimental investigation

Researchers tested how different concentrations of three common plastic types affect the physical and engineering properties of sandy soil. They found that increasing microplastic contamination significantly altered soil characteristics including liquid limit, plasticity, compaction, and shear strength. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in the ground could potentially compromise the structural stability of soil used in construction and land management.

2023 The Science of The Total Environment 15 citations
Article Tier 2

Potential impacts of microplastic pollution on soil–water–plant dynamics

Researchers tested how different shapes and sizes of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) microplastics affect a soil's ability to hold water, finding that fragment-shaped microplastics increased water retention by up to 36% — a significant change that could alter water availability for crops and affect agricultural planning in contaminated soils.

2025 Scientific Reports 21 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of Microplastics on Soil Health: Soil-Water Retention, Shrinkage and Holding Properties

A review of research on microplastics in soil found that plastic particles can alter water retention, shrinkage, and structural properties in ways that could reduce agricultural productivity. Because microplastics are as prevalent in soils as in oceans, their terrestrial impacts warrant much greater research attention.

2020 OakTrust (Texas A&M University Libraries) 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Indirect Effects of Microplastic-Contaminated Soils on Adjacent Soil Layers: Vertical Changes in Soil Physical Structure and Water Flow

Laboratory experiments showed that microplastic contamination in upper soil layers indirectly altered the physical structure and water flow of adjacent uncontaminated lower soil layers, suggesting that microplastics can affect soil hydrology beyond their immediate zone of contamination.

2021 Frontiers in Environmental Science 61 citations
Article Tier 2

Can Microplastic Pollution Change Soil-Water Dynamics? Results from Controlled Laboratory Experiments

Researchers conducted controlled laboratory experiments examining how microplastic shape and concentration affect soil water-holding capacity and evaporation in fine sand, finding through statistical and non-parametric analyses that microplastic pollution at environmentally relevant concentrations significantly altered both hydrological parameters.

2022 Water 16 citations
Article Tier 2

Microplastic-induced alterations in water flow and solute transport dynamics in soil

Researchers conducted laboratory experiments to measure how microplastics alter water flow and nutrient transport through soil. They found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics clogged soil pores, reducing water conductivity by up to 74% and creating uneven flow patterns. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils could significantly impair water and nutrient delivery to crops.

2025 Scientific Reports 1 citations
Article Tier 2

Impact of microplastics on strength parameters of clayey, Sandy, silty soil: A comparative assessment

Researchers conducted a comparative study examining how three types of microplastics at different concentrations affect the strength properties of sandy, silty, and clayey soils over a 30-day period. They found that LDPE, HDPE, and PVC contamination at environmentally relevant levels altered key soil properties including moisture content, density, and shear strength. The study highlights that microplastic pollution could compromise soil structural integrity, with implications for construction and geotechnical engineering.

2024 The Science of The Total Environment 12 citations
Article Tier 2

How Do Microplastics Affect Physical Properties of Silt Loam Soil under Wetting–Drying Cycles?

Researchers investigated how microplastics of different sizes and types affect the physical properties of silt loam soil under repeated wetting and drying cycles. The study found that microplastics altered soil water retention and structural stability during these cycles, with effects varying based on particle size and polymer type, indicating that microplastic contamination could influence agricultural soil behavior.

2023 Agronomy 26 citations
Article Tier 2

Polyester microplastic fibers rearrange soil physical quality indicators without compromising hydraulic function in six Mediterranean soils: Insights from S-theory indicators

Researchers investigated how polyester microplastic fibers affect soil physical quality in six Mediterranean soils at various contamination levels over six months. They found that while microplastics altered key soil structure indicators, creating larger pore spaces and enhanced aggregation, the overall water-holding capacity and hydraulic function remained largely preserved. The effects were most pronounced at the highest concentration tested and varied by soil type, with moderate-clay soils showing the most change.

2026 Journal of Hazardous Materials
Article Tier 2

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.

2023 Journal of Hazardous Materials 72 citations
Article Tier 2

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.

2018 Environmental Science & Technology 1726 citations
Article Tier 2

Interactions between water flow and microplastics in silt loam and loamy sand

Researchers found that increasing microplastic content (1-7% w/w) in both silt loam and loamy sand soils enhanced water infiltration rates, driving microplastic particles deeper into the soil profile. The study reveals a feedback mechanism where microplastics alter the very water flow patterns responsible for their own transport and distribution.

2021 Soil Science Society of America Journal 43 citations
Meta Analysis Tier 1

Effects of Environmentally Relevant Microplastic and Nanoplastic Concentrations on Soil Hydro-Physical Properties: A Global Meta-Analysis

This global meta-analysis found that microplastics and nanoplastics in soil reduce its ability to hold water and maintain healthy structure. These changes to soil properties could affect crop growth and water cycling in agricultural areas, with fiber-shaped plastics causing the most disruption.

2026