Journal of Soils and Sediments

https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-022-03254-4

SOILS, SEC 4 • ECOTOXICOLOGY • REVIEW ARTICLE

Soil health and microplastics: a review of the impacts of microplastic

contamination on soil properties
Rogers Wainkwa Chia1,2 · Jin‑Yong Lee1,3   · Jiwook Jang1,3 · Heejung Kim1,3 · Kideok D. Kwon1,3

Received: 7 March 2022 / Accepted: 8 June 2022

© The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature 2022

Abstract
Purpose  Soil is a thin coating of matter that covers the earth’s surface, formed through the process of rock weathering. It
is a natural filter for impurities in groundwater and is very important to human health. Recently, some studies from around
the world have confirmed that the presence of microplastics in soil is increasing. However, most of these studies only exam-
ined the impacts of soil microplastic contamination one or two soil health indicators, rather than study all three soil health
indicators at once.
Methods  In this review, we selected papers published internationally in the past decade and examined the trend of the effects
of soil microplastic contamination on all three soil health indicators.
Results and discussion  Soil microplastic contamination resulted in either an increase or decrease in the trend of the effects
on physicochemical and biological soil properties. In other cases, microplastic contaminants do not affect soil properties.
The alteration of soil health properties by microplastics was associated with a couple of reasons such as microplastic con-
centrations and types, changes in soil mechanics and microorganisms.
Conclusions  The current impact and severity of soil microplastic contamination on soil health properties are expected to
persist for a long time, especially with increasing global plastic production. Therefore, more research is required to continu-
ously assess the impact of microplastic contamination on other indicators of soil health that has not been studied previously.

Keywords  Microplastics · Nitrogen mineralization · Polyethylene · Low-density polyethylene · Soil health

1 Introduction organisms on the parent materials over a given period as

acclimatized by the topography (Cachada et al. 2018; Rinot
Soils are a group of abiotic entities occupying portions of the et al. 2019). Additionally, soils are collections of mineral
earth’s surface that affect human health, air, water quality, and organic materials that are formed naturally or abioti-
and the global economy, and provide about 98.8% of food cally at the top layer of the earth’s crust (lithosphere), either
consumed by humans (Steffan et al. 2018; Kopittke et al. through weathering or accumulation (Howard 2017; Kabała
2019; Barrón et al. 2020; Yang et al. 2020). Their proper- et al. 2020). According to Bucka et al. (2019), soil is a struc-
ties are a result of the combined effect of climate and living tured system wherein the physical, chemical, and biological
parameters work together in a self-organized manner. The
assessment of the soil’s ability to act as an essential liv-
Responsible editor: Dong-Mei Zhou ing environment that supports plants, animals, and humans’
growth is known as soil health (Yoder et al. 2022). The con-
* Jin‑Yong Lee
hydrolee@kangwon.ac.kr cept of soil health concept has evolved over the past few dec-
ades (Athar et al. 2022; Nunes et al. 2020). The evaluation of
1
Department of Geology, Kangwon National University, the soil’s physical, chemical, and biological parameters is a
Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea diagnosis of the soil’s health (Nunes et al. 2018). Previous
2
Research Institute for Earth Resources, Kangwon National studies have shown that soil health parameters are threatened
University, Chuncheon 24341, Republic of Korea by plastic contamination (Biswas et al. 2018; Fierer et al.
3
Research On Microplastics in Groundwater (RMPG), 2021; Yan et al. 2020).
Kangwon National University, Chuncheon 24341,
Republic of Korea

13
Vol.:(0123456789)
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

Fig. 1  The history of global

use of plastic mulching.
(HDPE = High density poly
ethylene, LDPE = Low-density
polyethylene)

Plastic, the main origin of microplastics, has been form of mulch (Xiong et al. 2019; Fig. 1). Plastic mulch
used for a long time (Fig. 1) owing to its excellent char- can successfully maintain the soil moisture, control
acteristics such as diversity, lightweight nature, durabil- weeds, maintain a favorable microclimate for plants,
ity, and low cost (Ghayebzadeh et al. 2020; Debrah et al. and increase the crop productivity (Bandopadhyay et al.
2021). Plastic enters the soil during or after human use 2018; Fig. 2). However, in the long run, when exposed to
(Hüffer et al. 2019a, b; Chia et al. 2021). For instance, sunlight or physical weathering, the plastic film used for
plastic has been widely used in crop cultivation in the mulching may decompose into a size smaller than 5 mm

Fig. 2  Plastic mulch utiliza-

tion (a, b, c) decreases weed
growth (d, e, and f) increases
soil moisture (g) increases and/
or decrease soil temperature (h)
stabilizes the soil humidity

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

(< 5 mm), collectively called microplastics (Zhou et al. 2 Effects of soil microplastics

2021). In addition to entering the soil and degrading into on the physical properties of soil
microplastics through mulching, plastics can also enter the
soil by other means, such as landfills, sewage treatment 2.1 Soil texture
plants, food waste, applications of biosolids, and organic
fertilizers (Birch et al. 2020; Gianico et al. 2021; Golwala Soil texture is an important indicator of soil health that is
et al. 2021). The contamination of soil caused by the deg- unaffected by soil microplastic contamination (Lehmann
radation of plastic introduced through disposal has been et al. 2019). For example, soil contamination with 0.5 and
increasing globally. At present, this issue has become the 100.0% polyester microplastics did not affect the soil’s
focus of attention of policy makers and the scientific com- texture (Lehmann et al. 2019; Yan et al. 2021). This may
munity (Xu et al. 2020; Bahl et al. 2021). be because soil texture is a result of thousands of years
To ensure the sustainable utilization of soils, it is very of weathering of geologic materials and is a permanent
important to consider the soil health in environmental physical property of the soil, which cannot be changed by
assessment and management processes (Bünemann et al. the microplastic contamination of soil.
2018; Yang et al. 2020). This is because soil health is
fundamental to a wholesome ecosystem, economy, and
human population. When assessing the soil health, the 2.2 Soil porosity and bulk density
physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil
should be used as prerequisite indicators for a success- Soil is a porous material with microscopic and macro-
ful assessment; none of the above parameters can be scopic structural pores (Hüffer et  al. 2019a, b). The
excluded (Nunes et al. 2020; Williams et al. 2020). The measure of the fraction of the soil volume occupied by
global focus on soil health and soil microplastic contami- pore spaces, namely, porosity, is an important soil health
nation has escalated drastically during the past decade, indicator (Ramesh et al. 2019). Recently, a few studies
with many government, private, and non-governmental have reported that microplastic contamination induced by
organizations struggling to set monitoring and assessment human activities alters the soil porosity (Zhang et al. 2015;
agreements (Karlen et al. 2019). There are a lot of stud- Jiang et al. 2017; Lozano et al. 2021). These changes could
ies documenting the presence of microplastics in the soil either lead to an increase or decrease in the soil porosity
from different sources (Klamerus et al. 2015; Akram et al. (Zhang et al. 2019; Table 1). These changes in soil poros-
2018; Raju et al. 2018). However, there is inadequate lit- ity by microplastic contamination may be linked to the
erature on the effects of soil microplastic contamination microplastic size (Wan et al. 2019) or only the soil pore
on soil health (Sintim et al. 2019; Xu et al. 2020). Thus, size (Zhang et al. 2019). Moreover, microplastic contami-
it is necessary to critically evaluate the effects of soil nation supports the formation of soil cracks, which can
microplastic contamination on all soil health parameters. lead to an increase in the soil porosity (Liang et al. 2021).
Among the studies, which have not satisfactorily inves- Soil bulk density is closely associated to the soil poros-
tigated the impact of microplastic contamination on soil ity; this implies that an escalation in bulk density induces a
health, most of them only evaluated one or two soil health decline of macropores and an increase in meso and micropo-
parameters, rather than simultaneously evaluating all three res (Indoria et al. 2020). Bulk density is also an important
parameters (de Souza Machado et  al. 2019; Rillig and soil health index that supports water and solute movement,
Lehmann 2020). Such studies provide a disjointed percep- improves soil aeration and soil structure, and regulates the
tion of the effects of soil microplastic contamination on soil compaction (Shah et al. 2017). Soil bulk density is
soil health parameters. Therefore, it is necessary to criti- firmly linked to the hydrological and agroecosystem pro-
cally review the impact of soil microplastics on all the three cesses of soil (Lu et al. 2019). Many studies have shown that
parameters of soil health, instead of only evaluating the microplastic contamination can decrease the bulk density
impact of soil microplastic contamination on one or two (Jiang et al. 2017; de Souza Machado et al. 2018; Ingraffia et
soil health parameters. Thus, this review aimed to identify al. 2022; Table 1). In contrast, Zhang et al. (2019) showed
studies evaluating the effect of microplastics on the soil-on- that the soil contamination with polyester microplastics did
soil health indicators, evaluate the degree of the effects of not have any significant impact on the soil bulk density. The
microplastics on soil health parameters, and propose poten- studies that documented a decrease in the soil’s bulk density
tial ideas to fill the research gaps in this field. This review following microplastic contamination linked the changes in
will help to better understand the effect of soil microplas- the soil bulk density to the microplastic size and shape and
tics on soil health and broaden our understanding of the the relative density of the microplastics in soil (Jiang et al.
combined interaction of soil chemistry and microplastics. 2017; Lozano et al. 2021).

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

Table 1  A summary of the trend of changes in soil physical properties following soil microplastic pollution
Microplastic type Physical property Trend of changes Microplastic concentration (%) References

Polyester, Polyethylene terephthalate, Bulk density Decrease 0.2, 2.0 de Souza Machado et al. (2019)
Polypropylene, Polyethylene, Poly- for
styrene each microplastics
Polyester Bulk density Decrease 0.5 Ingraffia et al. (2022)
Polyester Texture Neutral 100.0 Lehmann et al. (2019)
Polyvinyl Texture Neutral 1.0 Yan et al. (2021)
chloride
Polyester, Polyacrylic, Water Increase 2.0 de Souza Machado et al. (2019)
Polyester, Polyethylene terephthalate, holding for
Polystyrene, Polyamides capacity each microplastics
Polyethylene terephthalate Water Increase 0.4 Ng et al. 2021
holding
capacity
Polyester Water Increase 0.2 de Souza Machado et al. (2018)
holding
capacity
Polyamides, Organic Decrease 0.3 each Liang et al. (2021)
Polyethylene matter
Polyethylene Organic Decrease 0.2 and 2.0 respectively Feng et al. (2022)
Polystyrene matter
Polyamides, Organic Decrease 0.3 each Liang et al. (2021)
Polyethylene matter
Polyethylene, Polyethylene terephtha- Organic matter Decrease Not mentioned Lehmann et al. (2021)
late
Polyethylene Temperature Increase Not mentioned Nwosisi et al. (2019)
Polyester Temperature Increase 5.0 Shrestha and Miles (2022)
Polyester Structure Decrease 100.0 Lehmann et al. (2019)
Polyester Structure Decrease 0.5 Han et al. (2022)
Polyester, Polyacrylic, Structure Increase 2.0 each de Souza Machado et al. (2019)
Polyester, Polyethylene terephthalate,
Polystyrene, Polyamides

2.3 Soil structure and aggregate depth. Additionally, Rillig et al. (2019) found that micro-
plastic contamination in the form of fibers distorts the size
The solids formed from organic compounds, mineral ions, of soil aggregates.
and pores accumulate and arrange themselves in the soil
to form a soil structure and these aggregates are useful for 2.4 Soil hydraulic conductivity
evaluating the soil health (Rabot et al. 2018; Bhowmik et al.
2019). In crop cultivation fields, a well-managed soil should In a crop cultivation field, the area above the saturated soil
have an uninterrupted network of pore spaces to facilitate profile supplies air, water, and nutrients to plants and soil
the free movement of air and water, as well as the growth of organisms (Wanniarachchi et al. 2019). Additionally, the
roots (Obour et al. 2019). The sequestration of microplas- unsaturated soil profile zone regulates the entry and move-
tics into soil aggregates because of their lower density than ment of contaminants, such as plastics from the soil surface
soil minerals could trigger alterations in soil aggregation to the groundwater (de Souza Machado et al. 2018; Zhang
(de Souza Machado et al. 2018; Boots et al. 2019; Wang et al. 2019). Hangele et al. (2020) hypothesized that the
et al. 2020b). According to Kim et al. (2021b), the micro- infiltrated microplastics particles can clog part of the soil
plastic (for example, low-density polyethylene and polyam- pore space and reduce the soil hydraulic conductivity. The
ides) contamination of soil caused changes in the size of study of Qi et al. (2020a) is consistent with the assumption
soil aggregates. These soil aggregates changed in a way that that the soil hydraulic conductivity decreases immediately
those of smaller sizes (1–2 and 0.1–1 mm) increased at the after the soil is contaminated by low-density polyethylene
top soil layers but decreased at the bottom layers; however, microplastics. In contrast, Zhang et al. (2019) found that
soil aggregates of 2–4 mm decreased with increasing soil soil microplastic contamination increases the soil hydraulic

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

conductivity. The high soil hydraulic conductivity following matter (Liu et al. 2017). In contrast, soil contamination by
soil microplastic contamination can be attributed to altera- microplastics can indirectly affect the soil organic matter
tion in the size of soil aggregation, increase of soil poros- through the reduction of soil aggregate stability (Table 1;
ity, and robust soil hydrophobicity caused by microplastics Zhang and Zhang 2020). This is because the microplastics
(Rillig et al. 2019; Liang et al. 2021; Xing et al. 2021). in the soil inhibit the newly formed soil aggregates through
microbial processing (Liang et al. 2021). The soil organic
2.5 Soil water holding capacity and temperature matter content in soil is controlled by soil microorganisms
through decomposition (Kang et al. 2021; Abbott et al. 2022;
Lately, the authors have found that the soil water capacity Xiao et al. 2022). Therefore, once the soil is contaminated
either increased or decreased following soil contamination with microplastics, the abundance of soil microorganisms
by microplastics. The decrease in the soil water holding will decrease, which means that the decomposition of soil
capacity could be associated with the formation of cracks, organic matter by microorganisms will also decrease. For
the subsequent increase in water evaporation from soils example, soil microbes responsible for fixing carbon diox-
following soil contamination by polyethene and the hydro- ide and organic matter, such as Chloroflexi, face decreased
phobicity of microplastic surfaces (de Souza Machado et al. abundance following microplastic pollution (Liu et  al.
2019; Wan et al. 2019; Sajjad et al. 2022). According to 2021). Also, according to Xiao et al. (2022), the reduction
Lozano et al. (2021), the change in the water holding capac- of soil organic matter after microplastic pollution can be
ity depends on the type of microplastic polymer. The use attributed to changes in microbial community succession
of polyacrylic fibers decreased the water holding capacity, and temporal turnover, promoting soil organic decomposi-
but soil contamination by polyester microplastic increased tion. For example, soil microplastic pollution maximizes the
it (Lehmann et al. 2019). biomass growth of r-strategy bacteria (e.g., Ruminiclostrid-
Correspondingly, the soil temperature is a major factor ium-1), which promotes the efflux of carbon dioxide from
influencing the soil water holding capacity in most soil pro- the soil necessary for the decomposition and reduction of
cesses and should be considered while evaluating the soil soil organic matter.
health (Onwuka and Mang 2018; Stewart et al. 2018). The
soil temperature system is controlled by the buildup and
reduction of solar radiation at the soil surface, dissipation 3 Effects of soil microplastics on chemical
and heat transmission through the soil profile, and convec- properties
tive transfer through the motion of gas and water (Karmakar
et al. 2016). The soil temperature can be affected by natural 3.1 Soil pH
and human disturbances (Patil and Lamnganbi 2018). Micro-
plastic contamination of soils induced by human activities Soil pH can be influenced by alterations in land-use and
can alter the soil temperature by either increasing or neu- land-cover styles, and management caused either by human
tralizing it (Snyder et al. 2015; Table 1). The increase in or natural activities (Lee et al. 2019; Tomczyk et al. 2020).
soil temperature following soil contamination with black Intentional or unintentional contamination of soils by micro-
polyethylene in agricultural fields can be linked to the easy plastics due to human activities is known to either increase or
absorption and reduction in the outgoing solar radiation of decrease soil pH in the long run (Bandow et al. 2017; Boots
the soil (Amare and Desta 2021; Franquera and Mabesa et al. 2019; Table 2). For example, soil exposure to a mixture
2016). Moreover, according to Snyder et al. (2015), trapped of microplastics increases the soil pH (Qi et al. 2020b). Con-
air between soil and plastic films (microplastic contami- versely, the soil pH decreases after 30 days of exposure to the
nation) reduces the heat transfer in soils and this can also high-density polyethylene (Bandow et al. 2017; Boots et al.
increase the soil temperature following the microplastic con- 2019). The decrease in soil pH after soil microplastic con-
tamination of soils. Thus, soil microplastic contamination tamination can be attributed to the release of lactic acid from
can alter the soil temperature and this phenomenon depends aliphatic polyesters (for example, polylactic acid) through
either on the color or polymer type of the microplastic. the formation of cracks in their surface in a process called
mineralization, which reduces the soil pH (Wang et al. 2020a,
2.6 Soil organic matter b; Ainali et al. 2022; Schopfer et al. 2022). These changes
may be related to the increase in soil organic matter by micro-
Soil organic matter supplies a suitable habitat and sub- plastic contamination, and soil pH is found to be negatively
strates to the soil microbes and fauna, which are funda- correlated with the content of soil organic matter (Liu et al.
mental to the soil health over time (Obalum et al. 2017; 2017; Guo et al. 2020). This is because the presence of a
Rao et al. 2019). Soil contamination with polypropylene large amount of acidic soil organic matter reduces the soil pH
microplastics increased the nutrient content of soil organic (Rezaei et al. 2019; Zhang and Zhang 2020). According to

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

Table 2  A summary of the trend of changes in soil chemical properties following soil microplastic pollution
Microplastic type Soil chemical property Trend of changes Microplastic concentration (%) Reference

Polyamides, Polycarbonate, pH Increase 0.4 for each microplastics type Zhao et al. (2021a)
Polyethylene,
Polystyrene,
Polyurethanes
Polyethylene terephthalate pH Increase 5.0 Gharahi and Zamani-Ahmad-
mahmoodi (2022)
Polyethylene terephthalate pH Increase Not mentioned Medyńska-Juraszek and Jadhav
(2022)
High-density polyethylene, pH Increase 1.0 and 10.0 Yang et al. (2021)
Poly (lactic acid)
Polyethylene Cation Decrease 10.0 Wang et al. (2021a, b, c)
exchange
capacity
Polyethylene Soil Decrease 10.0 Hüffer et al. (2019a, b)
sorption
capacity
Polyurethane Cadmium Increase 1.0 Zhao et al. (2022)
Polyethylene Cadmium Increase 10.0 Wang et al. (2021a, b, c)
Polypropylene Cadmium Decrease 10.0 Ma et al. (2022)
High-density polyethylene Cadmium Decrease 10.0 Zhang et al. (2020a, b)
Low-density, polyethylene Carbon:nitrogen ratio Decrease 15.0 Zhao et al. (2021b)
Low-density, polyethylene Electrical conductivity No change 2.0 Qi et al. (2020a)
Low-density polyethylene Electrical conductivity No change 10.0 Brown et al. (2022)
Low-density polyethylene Electrical conductivity Decrease 1.0 Qi et al. (2020b)
Low-density polyethylene Soil Increase 0.01 Kim et al. (2021a)
organic
carbon
Polyurethane Soil organic carbon Increase 1.0 Zhao et al. (2022)
Polyethylene Soil nitrogen Increase 5.0 Fei et al. (2020)
Polyvinyl chloride Soil nitrogen Increase 0.5 Zhu et al. (2022)
Polyethylene Soil nitrogen Decrease 0.2 and 2.0 respectively Feng et al. (2022)
Polystyrene
Polyethylene Soil nitrogen Decrease 10.0 Liu et al. (2022)
Polyester Soil nitrogen Decrease 0.5 Ingraffia et al. (2022)
Polyethylene, Salinity Increase 91.0, 89.0, Hernández-Arenas
High-density polyethylene, 88.0, and 83.0 et al. (2021)
Low-density polyethylene,
Polyethylene terephthalate
Polystyrene, Potassium Decrease 1.0 Yu et al. (2021)
Polyethylene, Polypropylene, for
Polyvinyl chloride each microplastics
High-density polyethylene, Potassium Decrease Not mentioned Yang et al. (2021)
Plystyrene
Polyethene, Phosphorus Decrease 31.0, 79.0 Li and Liu (2022)
Polypropylene
Polyvinyl chloride Phosphorus Decrease 0.1, 1.0 Yan et al. (2021)
Polyethylene Phosphorus Decrease 0.8 Jiang et al. 2017

Yi et al. (2021), soil microplastic pollution changes soil pH 3.2 Soil sorption and cation exchange capacity
by altering soil microbes responsible for releasing hydrogen
cations. For example, soil microplastic pollution caused by Soil sorption is an important soil health measurement param-
phenanthrene, limits the abundance of ammonia-oxidizing eter as it can determine the soil’s potential to adsorb and des-
bacteria such as archaea, which in turn means less release of orb chemicals. It can be used for planting crops and natural
hydrogen cations than lower soil pH.

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

ecosystem management (Strawn 2021). In addition to measur- soil microplastic types, as the application of the same dose of
ing the soil chemical quality through the soil sorption capac- microplastics in soil led to different results (Table 2).
ity, the soil cation exchange capacity is also considered as an
important soil chemical health determinant, especially regard- 3.4 Soil electrical conductivity and salinity
ing the retention of major nutrient cations such as Ca, Mg, and
K, and the immobilization of potentially toxic cations, including Soil electrical conductivity has been widely used to study
Al and Mn (Jat et al. 2018). The soil cation exchange capac- the soil quality in response to crop planting management
ity is a soil property that determines the potential of the soil practices (Akanji et al. 2018; Havlin 2020). Soil salinity
to provide nutrient cations, such as calcium ­(Ca2+), magne- in this context refers to dissolved salt chloride compounds
sium ­(Mg2+), and potassium ­(K+), to the soil solution for plant comprising sodium, calcium, and magnesium (Zaman et al.
uptake; it also aids in the estimation of overall negative charges 2018). Some recent studies have reported that soil contami-
in the soil that adsorb plant nutrients (Khaledian et al. 2017). nation with 1.0% low-density polyethylene does not sig-
According to a few authors, soil microplastic contamina- nificantly change the soil electrical conductivity (Table 2).
tion can lead to a decrease in the soil sorption and cation According to Qi et al. (2020b), the decrease in electrical
exchange capacities (Table 2). This reduction in soil sorp- conductivity following contamination by low-density poly-
tion may be related to the increase in soil pH caused by ethylene microplastics should not be attributed to other fac-
microplastic contamination (Qi et al. 2020b; Table 2). This tors such as plants. It should instead be linked to the soil
increase in soil pH weakens the soil sorption capacity (Luo salinity as soil electrical conductivity values reflect the soil
et al. 2020; Li et al. 2021). Microplastics are pollutants with salinity in the following way: the larger the value of electri-
rubber properties, low crystallinity, and weak acceptors, cal conductivity, the greater is the soil salinity (Othaman
which when introduced into the soil, lower the soil’s cation et al. 2020). Conversely, soil contamination with 2.0 and
exchange capacity; this implies that only a small number 10.0% low-density, and polyethylene microplastics did not
of molecules will be able to attach (react) onto the soil’s alter the electrical conductivity (Qi et al. 2020a; Brown et al.
surface (Rodrigues et al. 2019; Strawn 2021). Notably, once 2022). So, the impact of soil microplastic pollution on soil
the soil sorption decreases after microplastic contamination conductivity may depend on the amount of microplastics
in soils, the adsorption of some heavy metals such as cad- used. However, more research is needed to verify this claim.
mium will be promoted, thereby affecting its bioavailability Although there are some few studies which identified the
to plants and animals (Chen et al. 2021). Over time, these impact of soil microplastic contamination on the electrical
heavy metals can be toxic to plants and can even peculate conductivity and soil salinity, more studies are needed to
into the groundwater, thereby contributing to additional verify the impact of microplastic contamination on the num-
environmental and health hazards (Zhang et al. 2020b). ber of dissolved salts in soils (namely, soil salinity).
A majority of the studies documenting the effect of micro-
3.3 Cadmium (heavy metals) plastic contamination on soil salinity show an increase in the
soil salinity after microplastic contamination (Table 2). This
The risk of high concentrations of cadmium in the soil, and increase could somehow be linked to the type of soil and its
possible migration into groundwater and the food chain can ability to retain many cations, which in turn increases the
be a cancer-causing potential in humans (Kubier et al. 2019; levels of salinity (Hernández-Arenas et al. 2021a). Nota-
Subaši et al. 2022). Soil contamination with about 10.0% pol- bly, according to some studies, the use of plastic-covered
yethylene microplastics increases the presence of extractable crop fields will reduce the soil salinity (Zhao et al. 2016;
cadmium in soil (Wang et al. 2021a, b, c; Zhao et al. 2022), Dong et al. 2018). Plastic mulching can be a useful mitiga-
while soil contamination with about 10.0% high-density poly- tion strategy for changes in soil salinity in the short term
ethylene and polypropylene microplastics instead decreases (Van et al. 2017). However, in the long term, polymers such
the presence of extractable cadmium in soil (Zhang et al. as low-density polystyrene and polyvinyl chloride, often
2020a, b; Ma et al. 2022). The increase in soil extractable used for plastic mulching, will degrade, and produce plastic
cadmium in soil following microplastic contamination can debris (Pathan et al. 2020). On a positive note, soil salinity
be attributed to the reduction in the soil’s adsorption capacity considerably reduces the sorption of fungicide to microplas-
for cadmium following microplastic contamination, leading tics such as polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride (Jiang et al.
to increased cadmium desorption (Zhang et al. 2020b). High 2020; Zhang et al. 2020a).
extractable cadmium in soils can easily be available for uptake
by either plants or possible leakage to groundwater (Park 3.5 Soil organic carbon and total nitrogen stock
et al. 2021; Riaz et al 2021). The presence of low extract-
able cadmium in soil following contamination with polypro- The storage of organic carbon in soils with respect to the
pylene and high-density polyethylene may be associated to global carbon cycle has a huge impact on the soil quality,

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

operation, and health (Byrnes et al. 2018; Jat et al. 2019; 3.7 Phosphorus and potassium
Lorenz et al. 2019). Soil nitrogen regulates the amount
of carbon stored in soils, implying that the soil carbon One of the main beneficial effects of phosphorus on soils
storage will only increase if there is nitrogen in the soil is the promotion of growth and crop reproduction (Spohn
and cannot change if the amount of nitrogen is limited 2020). Soil contamination with 31% polyethene, 79%
(Dignac et al. 2017). Thus, both carbon and nitrogen exist polypropylene, and 1.0% polyvinyl chloride microplastics
simultaneously in the soil (Duan et al. 2020). Few studies induced a reduction in the soil phosphorus content (Yan
have suggested that the microplastic contamination alters et al. 2020; Li and Liu 2022). The reduction in soil phos-
the organic carbon in soil because microplastics are an phorus following microplastic contamination could be
eccentric case of environmental contamination (Zhang related to the change in size of soil aggregates, resulting
et al. 2015; Rillig 2018; Ren et al. 2020). According to in a decrease in the soil bulk density (Jiang et al. 2017; de
Kim et al. (2021a), if care is not taken, microplastic con- Souza Machado et al. 2018; Indoria et al. 2020). Soil bulk
tamination of soils can result in the overestimation of soil density is positively correlated with soil micropores, imply-
organic carbon stocks. The overestimation might be attrib- ing that the soil bulk density decreases after microplastic
uted to plastics made from carbon compounds; when these contamination. Moreover, it also implies a reduction in soil
are broken down into microplastics, they can be incor- micropores, which does not facilitate soil ventilation and
rectly considered as a carbon source in the soil (Hu et al. phosphorus release (Hangele et al. 2020; Yu et al. 2021).
2019). Thus, more studies are needed to clearly understand Moreover, soil microplastic contamination (for example,
how microplastics alter the organic carbon in soils. polyethylene) reduces the content of available potassium in
In the past 10  years, some studies have shown that the soil (Table 2).
soil contamination caused by microplastics can lead to It is believed that the main source and pathway of potas-
an increase in the soil nitrogen content (Table 2). This sium in the soil is by the weathering of mica/clay minerals
increase may be related to the increase of Burkholde- (Basak 2019; Winsor 2021). Thus, the decrease in soil potas-
riaceae bacteria caused by soil contamination by micro- sium following microplastic contamination can be attributed
plastics (for example, polyvinyl chloride and polyethyl- to the decline in the weathering of mica/clay minerals in the
ene), which are a family of biological nitrogen fixation soil (biotite and muscovite; Lamarca-Irisarri et al. 2019).
bacteria that can subsequently increase the soil nitrogen The decrease in mica/clay weathering may be related to
storage (Fei et al. 2020). Additionally, according to Rong the decrease in soil pH if the soil is exposed to high con-
et al. (2021), soil contamination by microplastics alters the centrations of soil microplastics (for example, high-density
soil nitrogen cycle by increasing the abundance of nitro- polyethylene; Table 2). Additionally, according to Yu et al.
genase reductase genes in the aforementioned bacteria, (2020), the decrease in the available soil potassium can be
which are engaged in nitrogen cycling. linked to changes in the soil enzyme activity by microplastic
contamination (for example, urease and laccase), thereby
causing a significant decrease in the available soil potassium.
3.6 Carbon to nitrogen ratio However, drawing any conclusion based on the limited num-
ber of studies on soil potassium and microplastic contamina-
The contamination of soil by polyamide microplastics tion is challenging. We need more research to evaluate why
will reduce the carbon to nitrogen ratio in soil, while that the available potassium content of the soil decreases after
by low-density polyethylene microplastics maximizes the microplastic contamination.
carbon-to-nitrogen ratio in soil (Qi et al. 2020b; Table 2).
According to de Souza Machado et al. (2019) the decrease
in carbon-to-nitrogen ratio can be attributed to the fact that 4 Effects of soil microplastics
polyamides contain nitrogen; in the long run, this nitrogen on the biological properties
can be released into the soil environment in quantities that
can impact the soil carbon to nitrogen ratio. Conversely, 4.1 Soil carbon and nitrogen mineralization
the increase in the soil carbon-to-nitrogen ratio can be
attributed to the fact that majority of microplastics com- The mineralization of soil carbon and nitrogen is vital in
prise carbon compounds. These compounds can also be managing the soils and crop cultivation (Risch et al. 2019;
released in the soil environment in the long run, regardless Wang et al. 2020a). Some studies have shown that the addi-
of whether they are biodegradable or not (Qi et al. 2020a). tion of organic material with NPK chemical fertilizers into
The nutrient cycling is also affected when the carbon-to- soils enhances the accumulation of soil organic carbon
nitrogen ratio is changed by microplastic contamination and nitrogen, as well as the mineralization of both carbon
(Khalid et al. 2020). and nitrogen in crop cultivation systems (Cai et al. 2016).

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

However, 1.0% polyethylene and 0.1 to 18% low‐density pol- contamination can be attributed to the fact that soil enzymes
yethylene microplastic contamination of soils can improve (for example, urease) are triggered by soil moisture. When
soil carbon mineralization or 0.5% polyvinyl chloride, and soils were contaminated by microplastics, the soil’s water-
polylactic acid increase nitrogen mineralization (Table 3). holding capacity increased, which in turn stimulated the soil
According to Rillig et al. (2021), microplastics in soil can enzyme activity (Fei et al. 2020). In contrast, soil microplas-
alter the rate of carbon mineralization in three ways: lim- tic contamination can also inhibit the soil enzyme activity.
iting plant growth and litter degradations, controlling the This can be attributed to the fact that some soil microplastics
soil microbial processes, and acting as a source of carbon. can change the soil’s nutritional substrates and physicochem-
Low-density polyethylene soil contamination alters soil min- ical properties, or that these soil enzymes might adsorb the
eralization by increasing the abundance of microbial gene microplastics (Yu et al. 2020).
(for example, nitrogenase reductase gene) that promote
nitrogen fixation (Rong et al. 2021). The increase in soil 4.3 Soil respiration
organic carbon and nitrogen mineralization may be due to
increased abundance and activity of certain microorganisms Soil respiration is an important biological parameter that
(for example, Acidobacteria) as a counteraction mechanism should be considered while measuring the soil health
to soil microplastic pollution (Guo et al. 2020; Wang et al (Ebrahimi et al. 2019; Mann et al. 2019). According to
2022; Xiao et al. 2022). Zhao et al. (2021a), soil contamination with microplas-
tics such as polyethylene triggers a decrease in the soil
4.2 Soil enzyme activity respiration. This decrease in soil respiration should not be
associated with changes in the soil drainage, aeration, or
Soil enzyme activities are prompt and delicate signals of available water (Ng et al. 2021). The decrease in soil res-
changes in the soil ecosystems in either a natural or altered piration after microplastic contamination may be related to
environment owing to human activities and are useful for the reduction of soil microplastic activities responsible for
measuring changes in soils within the short and long terms soil respiration due to the inhibition of soil enzyme activity
(Gu et al. 2019; Hussain et al. 2019). Soil enzymes play a by microplastics (Yu et al. 2020; Table 3).
vital role in the performance of soils in the following ways:
the cycling of carbon trapped in soil organic matter, deriving
nutrients from natural resources, and the degradation of for- 5 Outlook
eign materials found in the soil ecosystem (Kompała-Bąba
et al. 2021). According to Huang et al. (2019), soil micro- Although these studies show some evidence of the impact
plastic contamination can stimulate, activate, and magnify of soil microplastics on soil health properties (Fig. 3), some
some soil enzymes such as catalase and urease. The stimula- doubts still need to be solved. We suggest that future studies
tion of this soil enzyme activity following soil microplastic should consider the following topics to clarify these doubts:

Table 3  A summary of the trend of changes in soil biological properties following soil microplastic pollution
Microplastic type Soil Trend Microplastic concentration (%) Reference(s)
property of changes
/Impact

Not Carbon Decrease Not Rillig et al. (2021)

mentioned mineralization mineralization of native mentioned
soil organic carbon
Polyethylene Carbon mineralization Increase mineralization 0.1, 1.0 Xiao et al. (2022)
Low‐density polyethylene Carbon mineralization Increase mineralization 0.1 0.1, 0.5, 1.0,3.0, Gao et al. (2021)
6.0, and 18.0
Polyethylene Soil respiration Decrease 0.4 Zhao et al. (2021a)
Low-density polyethylene Soil respiration Increase 1.0 Zhang et al. (2022)
Polyethylene terephthalate Soil respiration Increase 5.0 Gharahi and
Zamani-Ahmad-
mahmoodi (2022)
Low-density polyethylene Soil respiration increased 3.0 Ng et al. (2021)
Polyvinyl chloride, Enzymes Increase 1.0 and 5.0 respectively Zhou et al. (2021)
Polyethylene activity
Polyethylene Enzyme activity Increase 10.0 Liu et al. (2022)

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

Fig. 3  An overview of micro-

plastics contamination effect on
soil health properties

1. No studies have evaluated how soil microplastics impact can persist in the soil environment for decades. The cur-
the soil sodicity. Soil sodicity and salinity are often rent threats posed by soil microplastic contamination to
referred to as twin problems affecting the soils (Shahid soil health are expected to continue due to the predicted
et al. 2018; Sakai et al. 2020). Thus, future studies need increases in the global plastic production, resilience of
to simultaneously explore how soil microplastics will microplastics, and the long-term degradation rate of
jointly affect these two properties, instead of separately existing plastic contamination. Numerous studies on the
targeting one property. occurrence and impacts of microplastics in the ocean envi-
2. More studies are required to evaluate how different types ronment have already been conducted. However, similar
of microplastics impact the electrical conductivity and studies of soil microplastic contamination, and the fol-
soil salinity. The available studies regarding this are low-up effects on all soil health properties, such as the
insufficient. physical, chemical, and biological properties of soil, are
3. More studies are required to directly evaluate the degree still limited. This review selected available studies on soil
to which soil nitrogen is impacted by microplastics, microplastic contamination and its effects on different soil
because a majority of the studies focused on the influ- health parameters from the last decade. We then inferred
ence of microplastics on nitrogen cycling. the trend of the effects of soil microplastic contamination
4. More studies are required to evaluate the impact of on soil health properties, which is summarized in tables.
soil microplastics on other soil properties such as the From these summaries, we established that microplastics
sodium adsorption level, calcium carbonate content, cal- in soil negatively impact the soil health properties such as
cium sulfate content, soil resistivity (low soil resistivity the soil physical parameters. They do so by decreasing the
is good for earthing), and other microplastic types (for bulk density, aggregate stability, and micropore volume,
example, influence of high-density polyethylene on the and increasing the rates of evaporation and desiccation.
soil pH). To the best of our knowledge, no studies have The decreases in the soil hydraulic conductivity and cation
evaluated the influence of soil microplastics on these soil exchange also affect the chemical parameters. Addition-
health indexes, thereby necessitating further studies on ally, biological characteristics were also equally affected.
this aspect. This review is useful for the monitoring and management
of soils by controlling microplastic contamination and its
effects on soil health.
6 Conclusions

The occurrence of microplastics in soils from the continu- Author contribution  Roger Wainkwa Chia designed the review, inter-
preted, and wrote the manuscript’s first draft. Jiwook Jang drew the
ous utilization of plastics, especially for plastic mulching figures of the manuscript. Roger Wainkwa Chia, Jin-Yong Lee, Jiwook
in crop cultivation fields, has existed for a long period of Jang, Heejung Kim, and Kideok D. Kwon commented and revised
time. Microplastic polymers resulting from these plastics preceding versions of the manuscript. Jin-Yong Lee supervised and

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

dispense technical guidance for this study. All authors read and agreed Bhowmik A, Kukal SS, Saha D, Sharma H, Kalia A, Sharma S (2019)
to the manuscript’s final version. Potential indicators of soil health degradation in different land
use-based ecosystems in the Shiwaliks of Northwestern India.
Funding  This study was endorsed by the Basic Science Research Sustainability 11:3908. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​su111​43908
Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) Birch QT, Potter PM, Pinto PX, Dioysiou DD, Al-bed SR (2020)
financed by the Ministry of Education (No.2019R1A6A1A03033167 Sources, transport, measurement and impact of nano and
and NRF-2021R1F1A1064027). It was also endorsed by the Korea microplastics in urban watersheds. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol
Environment Industry and Technology Institute (KEITI) via the Meas- 19:275–336. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s11157-​020-​09529-x
urement and Risk Assessment Program for Management of Microplas- Biswas B, Qi F, Biswas JK, Wijayawardena A, Khan MA, Naidu R
tics Program (or Project), sponsored by the Korea Ministry of Environ- (2018) The fate of chemical pollutants with soil properties and
ment (MOE) (2020003110010). processes in the climate change paradigm-a review. Soil Sys
2:51–70. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​soils​ystem​s2030​051
Boots B, Russell CW, Green DS (2019) Effects of microplastics in
Declarations  soil ecosystems: above and below ground. Environ Sci Technol
53:11496–11506. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1021/​acs.​est.​9b033​04
Conflict of interest  The authors declare no competing interests. Brown RW, Chadwick DR, Thornton H, Marshall MR, Bei S, Distaso
MA, Bargiela R, Marsden KA, Clode PL, Murphy DV, Pagella S
(2022) Field application of pure polyethylene microplastic has no
significant short-term effect on soil biological quality and func-
References tion. Soil Biol Biochem 165:108496. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​
soilb​io.​2021.​108496
Abbott KM, Quirk T, Fultz LM (2022) Soil microbial community Bucka FB, Kölbl A, Uteau D, Peth S, Kögel-Knabner I (2019) Organic
development across a 32-year coastal wetland restoration time matter input determines structure development and aggregate
series and the relative importance of environmental factors. Sci formation in artificial soils. Geoderma 354:113881. https://​doi.​
Total Environ 821:153359. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​ org/​10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​2019.​113881
2021.​127944 Bünemann EK, Bongiorno G, Bai Z, Creamer RE, De DG, de Goede R,
Ainali NM, Kalaronis D, Evgenidou E, Kyzas GZ, Bobori D, Kaloyianni Fleskens L, Geissen V, Kuyper TW, Mäder P, Pulleman M (2018)
M, Yang X, Bikiaris DN, Lambropoulou DA (2022) Do poly (lactic Soil quality–a critical review. Soil Biol Biochem 120:105–125.
acid) microplastics instigate a threat? A perception for their dynamic https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​soilb​io.​2018.​01.​030
towards environmental pollution and toxicity. Sci Total Environ Byrnes RC, Eastburn DJ, Tate KW, Roche LM (2018) A global meta-
832:155014. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2022.​155014 analysis of grazing impacts on soil health indicators. J Environ
Akanji MA, Oshunsanya SO, Alomran A (2018) Electrical conductiv- Qual 47:758–765. https://​doi.​org/​10.​2134/​jeq20​17.​08.​0313
ity method for predicting yields of two yam (Dioscorea alata) Cachada A, Rocha-Santos T, Duarte AC (2018) Soil and pollution: an
cultivars in a coarse textured soil. Int Soil Water Conserv Res introduction to the main issues, in: Soil pollution. Academic Press
6:230–236. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​iswcr.​2018.​03.​006 pp1–28. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​B978-0-​12-​849873-​6.​00001-7
Akram R, Turan V, Hammad HM, Ahmad S, Hussain S, Hasnain A, Cai A, Xu H, Shao X, Zhu P, Zhang W, Xu M, Murphy DV (2016)
Maqbool MM, Rehmani MI, Rasool A, Masood N, Mahmood F Carbon and nitrogen mineralization in relation to soil particle-
(2018) Fate of organic and inorganic pollutants in paddy soils, size fractions after 32 years of chemical and manure application
in: environmental pollution of paddy soils. Springer, Cham, pp in a continuous maize cropping system. PLoS ONE 11:0152521.
197–214. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​978-3-​319-​93671-0_​13 https://​doi.​org/​10.​1371/​journ​al.​pone.​01525​21
Amare G, Desta B (2021) Coloured plastic mulches: impact on soil Chen X, Gu X, Bao L, Ma S, Mu Y (2021) Comparison of adsorp-
properties and crop productivity. Chem Biol Technol 8:1–9. tion and desorption of triclosan between microplastics and soil
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1186/​s40538-​020-​00201-8 particles. Chemosphere 263:127947. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​
Athar T, Kanwal N (2022) Significance of soil health and soil life for chemo​sphere.​2020.​127947
sustainable food production. Emer Life Sci Res 8: 1–4 https://​ Chia RW, Lee JY, Kim H, Jang J (2021) Microplastic pollution in soil
doi.​org/​10.​31783/​elsr.​2022.​810104 and groundwater: a review. Environ Chem Lett. https://​doi.​org/​
Bahl S, Dolma J, Singh JJ, Sehgal S (2021) Biodegradation of plastics: 10.​1007/​s10311-​021-​01297-6
a state of the art review. Mater Proc 39:31–34. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.​ de Souza Machado AA, Lau CW, Kloas W, Bergmann J, Bachelier
1016/j.​matpr.​2020.​06.​096 JB, Faltin E, Becker R, Anna S, Görlich AS, Rillig AC (2019)
Bandopadhyay S, Martin-Closas L, Pelacho AM, DeBruyn JM (2018) Microplastics can change soil properties and affect plant perfor-
Biodegradable plastic mulch films: impacts on soil microbial mance. Environ Sci Technol 53:6044–6052. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
communities and ecosystem functions. Front Microbiol 9:819– 1021/​acs.​est.​9b013​39
826. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3389/​fmicb.​2018.​00819 de Souza Machado AA, Lau CW, Till J, Kloas W, Lehmann A, Becker
Bandow N, Will V, Wachtendorf V, Simon FG (2017) Contaminant R, Rillig MC (2018) Impacts of microplastics on the soil bio-
release from aged microplastic. Environ. Chem 14: 394–405. physical environment. Environ Sci Techno 52:9656–9665.
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1071/​EN170​64 https://​doi.​org/​10.​1021/​acs.​est.​8b022​12
Barrón V, Méndez JM, Balbuena J, Cruz-Yusta M, Sánchez L, Giménez Debrah JK, Vidal DG, Dinis MA (2021) Innovative use of plastic for a
C, Sacristán D, González Guzmán A, Sánchez-Rodríguez AR, clean and sustainable environmental management: learning cases
Skiba UM, Inda AV (2020) Photochemical emission and fixation from Ghana, Africa. Urban Sci 5:2–23. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​
of NOx gases in soils. Sci Total Environ 702:134982. https://d​ oi.​ urban​sci50​10012
org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2019.​134982 Dignac MF, Derrien D, Barre P, Barrot SC, Cécillon L, Chenu C,
Basak BB (2019) Waste Mica as Alternative Source of Plant-Available Chevallier T, Freschet GT, Garnier P, Guenet B, Hedde M
Potassium: Evaluation of Agronomic Potential through Chemical (2017) Increasing soil carbon storage: mechanisms, effects of
and Biological Methods Nat Resour Res 28:953–965. https://d​ oi.​ agricultural practices and proxies. A Review Agron Sustain Dev
org/​10.​1007/​s11053-​018-​9430-3 37:14–41. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s13593-​017-​0421-2

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

Dong Q, Yang Y, Zhang T, Zhou L, He J, Chau HW, Zou Y, Feng H General Assembly Conference Abstracts. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
(2018) Impacts of ridge with plastic mulch-furrow irrigation on 5194/​egusp​here-​egu20​20-​9337,2020
soil salinity, spring maize yield and water use efficiency in an Havlin JL (2020) Soil: fertility and nutrient management, in landscape
arid saline area. Agric Water Manag 201:268–277. https://​doi.​ and land capacity. CRC Press, pp 251–265. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
org/​10.​1016/j.​agwat.​2017.​12.​011 1201/​97804​29445​552-​34
Duan B, Man X, Cai T, Xiao R, Ge Z (2020) Increasing soil organic Hernández-Arenas R, Beltrán-Sanahuja A, Navarro-Quirant P, Sanz-
carbon and nitrogen stocks along with secondary forest succes- Lazaro C (2021a) The effect of sewage sludge containing micro-
sion in permafrost region of the Daxing’an Mountains. Northeast plastics on growth and fruit development of tomato plants. Envi-
China Glob Ecol Conserv 24:01258. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​ ron Pollut 115779 https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2020.​115779
gecco.​2020.​e01258 Howard J (2017) Classification of anthropogenic soils, in: Anthropo-
Ebrahimi M, Sarikhani MR, Sinegani AA, Ahmadi A, Keesstra S genic soils. Progress in Soil Science. Springer, Cham, pp 95–113.
(2019) Estimating the soil respiration under different land uses https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​978-3-​319-​54331-4_6
using artificial neural network and linear regression models. Cat- Hu D, Shen M, Zhang Y, Zeng G (2019) Micro (nano) plastics: an un-
ena 174: 371–382.https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​catena.​2018.​11.​035 ignorable carbon source? Sci Total Environ 657:108–110. https://​
Fei Y, Huang S, Zhang H, Tong Y, Wen D, Xia X, Wang H, Luo Y, doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2018.​12.​046
Barceló D (2020) Response of soil enzyme activities and bacte- Huang Y, Zhao Y, Wang J, Zhang M, Jia W, Qin X (2019) LDPE
rial communities to the accumulation of microplastics in an acid microplastic films alter microbial community composition and
cropped soil. Sci Total Environ 707:135634. https://​doi.​org/​10.​ enzymatic activities in soil. Environ Pollut 254:112983. https://​
1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2019.​135634 doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2019.​112983
Feng X, Wang Q, Sun Y, Zhang S, Wang F (2022) Microplastics change Hüffer T, Florian M, Gabriel S, Sophie S, Torsten CS, Thilo H (2019a)
soil properties, heavy metal availability and bacterial commu- Polyethylene microplastics influence the transport of organic
nity in a Pb-Zn-contaminated soil. J Hazard Mater 424:127364. contaminants in soil. Sci Total Environ 657:242–247. https://​
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2021.​127364 doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2018.​12.​047
Fierer N, Wood SA, de Mesquita CP (2021) How microbes can, Hüffer T, Metzelder F, Sigmund G, Slawek S, Schmidt TC, Hofmann
and cannot, be used to assess soil health. Soil Biol Biochem T (2019b) Polyethylene microplastics influence the transport of
153:108111. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​soilb​io.​2020.​108111 organic contaminants in soil. Sci Total Environ 657:242–247.
Franquera EN, Mabesa RC (2016) Colored plastic mulch effects on the https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2018.​12.​047
yield of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and soil temperature. J Advanc Hussain MI, Muscolo A, Farooq M, Ahmad W (2019) Sustainable
Agric Technol 3:155–159. https://​doi.​org/​10.​18178/​JOAAT.3.​3.​ use and management of non-conventional water resources for
155-​159 rehabilitation of marginal lands in arid and semiarid environ-
Gao B, Yao H, Li Y, Zhu Y (2021) Microplastic addition alters the ments. Agric Water Manag 221:462–476. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
microbial community structure and stimulates soil carbon diox- 1016/j.​agwat.​2019.​04.​014
ide emissions in vegetable-growing soil. Environ Toxicol Chem Indoria AK, Sharma KL, Reddy KS (2020) Hydraulic properties
40:352–365. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​etc.​4916 of soil under warming climate, in: Climate Change and Soil
Gharahi N, Zamani-Ahmadmahmoodi R (2022) Effect of plastic pol- Interactions. Elsevier, pp 473–508
lution in soil properties and growth of grass species in semi- Ingraffia R, Amato G, Iovino M, Rillig M, Giambalvo D, Frenda AS
arid regions: a laboratory experiment. Environ Sci Pollut Res (2022) Polyester microplastic fibers in soil increase nitrogen
45:1–9.https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s11356-​022-​19373-x loss via leaching and decrease plant biomass production and N
Ghayebzadeh M, Aslani H, Taghipour H, Mousavi S (2020) Estima- uptake. Environ Res Lett 17:113259. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1088/​
tion of plastic waste inputs from land into the Caspian Sea: a 1748-​9326/​ac652d
significant unseen marine pollution. Mar Pollut Bull 151:110871. Jat HS, Datta A, Choudhary M, Yadav AK, Choudhary V, Sharma
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​marpo​lbul.​2019.​110871 PC, Gathala MK, Jat ML, McDonald A (2019) Effects of til-
Gianico A, Braguglia CM, Gallipoli A, Montecchio D, Mininni G lage, crop establishment and diversification on soil organic car-
(2021) Land application of biosolids in Europe: possibilities, bon, aggregation, aggregate associated carbon and productivity
con-straints and future perspectives. Water 103:13–29. https://​ in cereal systems of semi-arid Northwest India. Soil Tillage
doi.​org/​10.​3390/​w1301​0103 Res 190: 128–38. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​still.​2019.​03.​00510.​
Golwala H, Zhang X, Iskander SM, Smith AL (2021) Solid waste: 1016/j.​still.​2019.​03.​005
an overlooked source of microplastics to the environment. Sci Jat ML, Stirling CM, Jat HS, Tetarwal JP, Jat RK, Singh R, Lopez-
Total Environ 769:144581. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​ Ridaura S, Shirsath PB (2018) Soil processes and wheat crop-
2020.​144581 ping under emerging climate change scenarios in South Asia.
Gu C, Zhang S, Han P, Hu X, Xie L, Li Y, Brooks M, Liao X, Qin L Adv Agron 148:111–171. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​bs.​agron.​
(2019) Soil enzyme activity in soils subjected to flooding and 2017.​11.​006
the effect on nitrogen and phosphorus uptake by oilseed rape. Jiang M, Hu L, Lu A, Liang G, Lin Z, Zhang T, Xu L, Li B, Gong W
Front Plant Sci 10:368. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3389/​fpls.​2019.​00368 (2020) Strong sorption of two fungicides onto biodegradable
Guo JJ, Huang XP, Xiang L, Wang YZ, Li YW, Li H, Cai QY, Mo microplastics with emphasis on the negligible role of environ-
CH, Wong MH (2020) Source, migration and toxicology of mental factors. Environ Pollut 267:115496. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
microplastics in soil. Environ Int 137:105263. https://​doi.​org/​ 1016/j.​envpol.​2020.​115496
10.​1016/j.​envint.​2019.​105263 Jiang XJ, Liu W, Wang E, Zhou T, Xin P (2017) Residual plastic mulch
Han L, Chen L, Chen S, Feng Y, Sun H, Xue L, Feng Y, Sun K, Yang Z fragments effects on soil physical properties and water flow
(2022) Polyester microplastic mitigated NH3 volatilization from behavior in the Minqin Oasis, northwestern China. Soil Tillage
a rice–wheat rotation system: does particle size or natural aging Res 166:100–107. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​still.​2016.​10.​011
effect matter? ACS Sustain Chem Eng 10:2180–2191. https://​doi.​ Kabała C, Greinert A, Charzyński P, Uzarowicz L (2020) Techno-
org/​10.​1021/​acssu​schem​eng.​1c077​49 genic soils–soils of the year 2020 in Poland. Concept, properties,
Hangele P, Müller KL, Laermanns H, Bogner C (2020) The influ- and classification of technogenic soils in Poland. Soil Sci Annu
ence of microplastic on soil hydraulic properties. In EGU 71:267–280. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2019.​01.​097

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

Kang H, Yu W, Dutta S, Gao H (2021) Soil microbial community are organic matter dependent. Frontiers Environ Sci 9:97–108.
composition and function are closely associated with soil https://​doi.​org/​10.​3389/​fenvs.​2021.​650155
organic matter chemistry along a latitudinal gradient. Geoderma Liu H, Yang X, Liu G, Liang C, Xue S, Chen H, Ritsema CJ, Geissen
383:114744. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​2020.​114744 V (2017) Response of soil dissolved organic matter to microplas-
Karlen DL, Veum KS, Sudduth KA, Obrycki JF, Nunes MR (2019) Soil tic addition in Chinese loess soil. Chemosphere 185:907–917.
health assessment: past accomplishments, current activities, and https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​chemo​sphere.​2017.​07.​064
future opportunities. Soil till Res 195:104365. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.​ Liu Y, Huang Q, Hu W, Qin J, Zheng Y, Wang J, Wang Q, Xu Y, Guo
1016/j.​still.​2019.​104365 G, Hu S (2021) Effects of plastic mulch film residues on soil-
Karmakar R, Das I, Dutta D, Rakshit A (2016) Potential effects of microbe-plant systems under different soil pH conditions. Che-
climate change on soil properties: a review. Sci Inter 4: 51–73. mosphere 267:128901. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​chemo​sphere.​
https://​doi.​org/​10.​17311/​sciin​tl.​2016.​51.​73 2020.​128901
Khaledian Y, Brevik EC, Pereira P, Cerdà A, Fattah MA, Tazikeh Liu Z, Liu Z, Wu L, Li Y, Wang J, Wei H, Zhang J (2022) Effect of
H (2017) Modeling soil cation exchange capacity in multiple polyethylene microplastics and acid rain on the agricultural
countries. CATENA 158:194–200. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​ soil ecosystem in Southern China. Environ Pollut 303:119094.
catena.​2017.​07.​002 https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2022.​119094
Khalid N, Aqeel M, Noman A (2020) Microplastics could be a threat Lorenz K, Lal R, Ehlers K (2019) Soil organic carbon stock as an
to plants in terrestrial systems directly or indirectly. Environ indicator for monitoring land and soil degradation in relation to
Pollut. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2020.​115653 United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. Land Degrad
Kim SW, Jeong SW, An YJ (2021a) Microplastics disrupt accurate Dev 30:824–838. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​ldr.​3270
soil organic carbon measurement based on chemical oxidation Lozano YM, Lehnert T, Linck LT, Lehmann A, Rillig MC (202) Micro-
method. Chemosphere 276:30178. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​ plastic shape, polymer type, and concentration affect soil proper-
chemo​sphere.​2021.​130178 ties and plant biomass. Front Plant Sci 12:169. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.​
Kim SW, Liang Y, Zhao T, Rillig MC (2021b) Indirect effects of 3389/​fpls.​2021.​616645
microplastic-contaminated soils on adjacent soil layers: verti- Lu Y, Si B, Li H, Biswas A (2019) Elucidating controls of the vari-
cal changes in soil physical structure and water flow. Frontiers ability of deep soil bulk density. Geoderma 348:146–157. https://​
Environ Sci 9:1–9. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3389/​fenvs.​2021.​681934 doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​2019.​04.​033
Klamerus-Iwan A, Błońska E, Lasota J, Kalandyk A, Waligórski P Luo Y, Zhang Y, Xu Y, Guo X, Zhu L (2020) Distribution character-
(2015) Influence of oil contamination on physical and biological istics and mechanism of microplastics mediated by soil physico-
properties of forest soil after chainsaw use. Water Air Soil Pollut chemical properties. Sci Total Environ 726:138389. https://​doi.​
226:1–9. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s11270-​015-​2649-2 org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2020.​138389
Kompała-Bąba A, Bierza W, Sierka E, Błońska A, Besenyei L, Ma X, Zhou X, Zhao M, Deng W, Cao Y, Wu J, Zhou J (2022) Poly-
Woźniak G (2021) The role of plants and soil properties in the propylene microplastics alter the cadmium adsorption capacity
enzyme activities of substrates on hard coal mine spoil heaps. on different soil solid fractions. Front Environ Sci Eng 16:1–12.
Sci Rep 11:1–13. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1038/​s41598-​021-​84673-0 https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s11783-​021-​1437-z
Kopittke PM, Menzies NW, Wang P, McKenna BA, Lombi E (2019) Mann C, Lynch D, Fillmore S, Mills A (2019) Relationships between
Soil and the intensification of agriculture for global food security. field management, soil health, and microbial community com-
Environ Int 132:105078. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envint.​2019.​ position. Agric. Ecosyst Environ 144: 12–21.https://​doi.​org/​10.​
105078 1016/j.​apsoil.​2019.​06.​012
Kubier A, Wilkin RT, Pichler T (2019) Cadmium in soils and ground- Medyńska-Juraszek A, Jadhav B (2022) Influence of different micro-
water: a review. Appl Geochem 108:1–16. https://​doi.​org/​10.​ plastic forms on ph and mobility of ­Cu2+ and ­Pb2+ in soil. Mol-
1016/j.​apgeo​chem.​2019.​104388 ecules 27:1744. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​molec​ules2​70517​44
Lamarca-Irisarri D, Van D, Jordan G, Cappelli C, Huertas FJ Ng EL, Lin SY, Dungan AM, Colwell JM, Ede S, Lwanga EH, Meng
(2019) The role of pH, temperature, and N ­ H4+ during mica K, Geissen V, Blackall LL, Chen D (2021) Microplastic pollu-
weathering. ACS Earth Space Chem 11: 2613–2622. https://​doi.​ tion alters forest soil microbiome. J Hazard Mater 409:124606.
org/​10.​1021/​acsea​r thsp​acech​em.​9b002​19 https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2020.​124606
Lee JY, Raza M, Kwon KD (2019) Land use and land cover changes in Nunes MR, Karlen DL, Veum KS, Moorman TB, Cambardella CA
the Haean Basin of Korea: impacts on soil erosion. Episodes 42: (2020) Biological soil health indicators respond to tillage inten-
17–32. https://​doi.​org/​10.​18814/​epiiu​gs/​2019/​01900​03 sity: a US meta-analysis. Geoderma 369:114335. https://​doi.​org/​
Lehmann A, Fitschen K, Rillig MC (2019) Abiotic and biotic factors 10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​2020.​114335
influencing the effect of microplastic on soil aggregation. Soil Nunes MR, van EH, Schindelbeck R, Ristow AJ, Ryan M (2018) No-till
Sys 3:21–29. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​soils​ystem​s3010​021 and cropping system diversification improve soil health and crop
Lehmann A, Leifheit EF, Gerdawischke M, Rillig MC (2021) Micro- yield. Geoderma 328: 30–43.https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​
plastics have shape-and polymer-dependent effects on soil 2018.​04.​031
aggregation and organic matter loss–an experimental and meta- Nwosisi S, Nandwani D, Hui D (2019) Mulch treatment effect on weed
analytical approach. Micro Nano 1:1–14. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.1​ 186/​ biomass and yields of organic sweetpotato cultivars. Agron
s43591-​021-​00007-x 9:190–206. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​agron​omy90​40190
Li H, Liu L (2022) Short-term effects of polyethene and polypropylene Obalum S, Chibuike G, Peth S, Ouyang Y (2017) Soil organic mat-
microplastics on soil phosphorus and nitrogen availability. Che- ter as sole indicator of soil degradation. Environ Monit Assess
mosphere 291:132984. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​chemo​sphere.​ 189:176. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s10661-​017-​5881-y
2021.​132984 Obour PB, Danso EO, Yakubu A, Abenney-Mickson S, Sabi EB,
Li J, Guo K, Cao Y, Wang S, Song Y, Zhang H (2021) Enhance in Darrah YK, Arthur E (2019) Water retention air exchange and
mobility of oxytetracycline in a sandy loamy soil caused by the pore structure characteristics after three years of rice straw
presence of microplastics. Environ Pollut 269:116151. https://​ biochar application to an Acrisol. Soil Sci Soc Am J 83:1664–
doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2020.​116151 1671. https://​doi.​org/​10.​2136/​sssaj​2019.​07.​0230
Liang Y, Lehmann A, Yang G, Leifheit EF, Rillig MC (2021) Effects
of microplastic fibers on soil aggregation and enzyme activities

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

Onwuka B, Mang B (2018) Effects of soil temperature on some soil Rinot O, Levy GJ, Steinberger Y, Svoray T, Eshel G (2019) Soil health
properties and plant growth. Adv Plants Agric Res 8: 34–41. assessment: a critical review of current methodologies and a pro-
https://​doi.​org/​10.​15406/​apar.​2018.​08.​00288 posed new approach. Sci Total Environ 648:1484–1491. https://​
Othaman NC, Isa MM, Ismail RC, Ahmad MI, Hui CK (2020) Factors doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2018.​08.​259
that affect soil electrical conductivity (EC) based system for Risch AC, Zimmermann S, Ochoa-Hueso R, Schütz M, Frey B, Firn JL,
smart farming application. AIP Conf Proc 2203:1–6. https://​doi.​ Fay PA, Hagedorn F, Borer ET, Seabloom EW, Harpole WS (2019)
org/​10.​1063/1.​51421​47 Soil net nitrogen mineralisation across global grasslands. Nat
Park HJ, Kim SU, Jung KY, Lee S, Choi YD, Owens VN, Kumar S, Commun 10:1–10. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1038/​s41467-​019-​12948-2
Yun SW, Hong CO (2021) Cadmium phytoavailability from Rodrigues JP, Duarte AC, Santos-Echeandía J, Rocha-Santos T (2019)
1976 through 2016: changes in soil amended with phosphate Significance of interactions between microplastics and POPs in
fertilizer and compost. Sci Total Environ 762:143132. https://​ the marine environment: a critical overview. Trends Analyt Chem
doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2020.​143132 111:252–260. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​trac.​2018.​11.​038
Pathan SI, Arfaioli P, Bardelli T, Ceccherini MT, Nannipieri P, Rong L, Zhao L, Cheng Z, Yao Y, Yuan C, Wang L, Sun H (2021)
Pietramellara G (2020) Soil pollution from micro-and nano- LDPE microplastics affect soil microbial communities and nitro-
plastic debris: a hidden and unknown biohazard. Sustainabil- gen cycling. Sci Total Environ 773:145640. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
ity 12: 7255. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​su121​87255 1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2021.​145640
Patil A, Lamnganbi M (2018) Impact of climate change on soil health: a Sajjad M, Huang Q, Khan S, Khan MA, Yin L, Wang J, Lian F, Wang
review. Int J Chem Stud. 6: 2399–2404. https://​www.​chemi​journ​al.​ Q, Guo G (2022) Microplastics in the soil environment: a criti-
com/​archi​ves/​2018/​vol6i​ssue3/​PartAI/​6-3-​276-​725.​pdf cal review. Environ Technol Innov 27:102408. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.​
Qi Y, Beriot N, Gort G, Lwanga EH, Gooren H, Yang X, Geissen V 1016/j.​eti.​2022.​102408
(2020a) Impact of plastic mulch film debris on soil physicochem- Sakai Y, Shimizu C, Murata H, Seto H, Fukushima R, Koga T, Wang
ical and hydrological properties. Environ Pollut 266:115097. C (2020) Changes in Soil Physicochemical Properties and Maize
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2020.​115097 Production following Improvement of Salt-Affected Soils Using
Qi Y, Ossowicki A, Yang X, Lwanga EH, Dini-Andreote F, Geissen V, Coal Bio-Briquette Ash in Northeast China Agron 10:348.
Garbeva P (2020b) Effects of plastic mulch film residues on wheat https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​agron​omy10​030348
rhizosphere and soil properties. J Hazard Mater 387:121711. Schöpfer L, Schnepf U, Marhan S, Brümmer F, Kandeler E, Pagel H
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2019.​121711 (2022) Hydrolyzable microplastics in soil-low biodegradation
Rabot E, Wiesmeier M, Schlüter S, Vogel HJ (2018) Soil structure as but formation of a specific microbial habitat? Biol Fertil Soils
an indicator of soil functions: a review. Geoderma 314:122–137. 58:471–486. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s00374-​022-​01638-9
https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​2017.​11.​009 Shah AN, Tanveer M, Shahzad B, Yang G, Fahad S, Ali S, Bukhari
Raju S, Carbery M, Kuttykattil A, Senathirajah K, Subashchandrabose MA, Tung SA, Hafeez A, Souliyanonh B (2017) Soil compac-
SR, Evans G, Thavamani P (2018) Transport and fate of micro- tion effects on soil health and crop productivity: an overview.
plastics in wastewater treatment plants: implications to environ- Environ Sci Pollut Res 24:10056–10067. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.1​ 007/​
mental health. Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 17:637–653. https://​ s11356-​017-​8421-y
doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s11157-​018-​9480-3 Shahid SA, Zaman M, Heng L (2018) Salinity and sodicity adapta-
Ramesh T, Bolan NS, Kirkham MB, Wijesekara H, Kanchikerimath tion and mitigation options, in: Guideline for salinity assess-
M, Rao CS, Sandeep S, Rinklebe J, Ok YS, Choudhury BU, ment, mitigation and adaptation using nuclear and related
Wang H (2019) Soil organic carbon dynamics: impact of land techniques. Springer, Cham, pp 55–88.https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​
use changes and management practices: a review. Adv Agron 978-3-​319-​96190-3_3
156:1–107. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/​bs.​agron.​2019.​02.​001 Shrestha S, Miles C (2022) Plastic mulch and in-row spacing effects
Rao DL, Aparna K, Mohanty SR (2019) Microbiology and biochem- on sweet potato yield in Northwest Washington. Hort Technol-
istry of soil organic matter, carbon sequestration and soil health. ogy 32:241–251. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.2​ 1273/H
​ ORTTE ​ CH04​992-​21
Indian J Fertil 15:124–138 Sintim HY, Bandopadhyay S, English ME, Bary AI, DeBruyn JM,
Ren X, Tang J, Liu X, Liu Q (2020) Effects of microplastics on green- Schaeffer SM, Miles CA, Reganold JP, Flury M (2019) Impacts
house gas emissions and the microbial community in fertilized of biodegradable plastic mulches on soil health. Agric Ecosyst
soil. Environ Pollut 256:113347. https://​d oi.​o rg/​1 0.​1 016/j.​ Environ 273:36–49. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​agee.​2018.​12.​002
envpol.​2019.​113347 Snyder K, Grant A, Murray C, Wolff B (2015) The effects of plas-
Rezaei M, Riksen MJ, Sirjani E, Sameni A, Geissen V (2019) Wind tic mulch systems on soil temperature and moisture in central
erosion as a driver for transport of light density microplastics. Sci Ontario. HortTechnology 25: 162–170. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.2​ 1273/​
Total Environ 669:273–281. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​ HORTT​ECH.​25.2.​162
2019.​02.​382 Spohn M (2020) Phosphorus and carbon in soil particle size fractions:
Riaz U, Aslam A, Zaman Q, Javeid S, Gul R, Iqbal S, Javid S, Murtaza G, a synthesis. Biogeochemistry 147:225–242. https://​doi.​org/​10.​
Jamil M (2021) Cadmium contamination, bioavailability, uptake 1007/​s10533-​019-​00633-x
mechanism and remediation strategies in soil-plant-environment Steffan JJ, Brevik EC, Burgess LC, Cerdà A (2018) The effect of soil
system: a critical review. Curr Anal Chem 17:49–60. https://​doi.​ on human health: an overview. Eur J Soil Sci 69:159–171. https://​
org/​10.​2174/​15734​11016​99920​08171​74311 doi.​org/​10.​1111/​ejss.​12451
Rillig MC (2018) Microplastic disguising as soil carbon storage. Environ Stewart RD, Jian J, Gyawali AJ, Thomason WE, Badgley BD, Reiter
Sci Technol 52:6079–6080. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1021/​acs.​est.​8b023​38 MS, Strickland MS (2018) What we talk about when we talk
Rillig MC, Lehmann A (2020) Microplastic in terrestrial ecosystems. about soil health. Agric Environ Lett 3:180033. http://h​ dl.h​ andle.​
Sci 368: 1430–1431. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1126/​scien​ce.​abb59​79e net/​10919/​86770
Rillig MC, Lehmann A, de Souza Machado AA, Yang G (2019) Micro- Strawn DG (2021) Sorption mechanisms of chemicals in soils. Soil Sys
plastic Effects on Plants New Phytol 223:1066–1070. https://​doi.​ 5:13–35. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​soils​ystem​s5010​013
org/​10.​1111/​nph.​15794 Subašić M, Šamec D, Selović A, Karalija E (2022) Phytoremediation of
Rillig MC, Leifheit E, Lehmann J (2021) Microplastic effects on car- cadmium polluted soils: current status and approaches for enhanc-
bon cycling processes in soils. PLoS Biol 19:3001130. https://​ ing. Soil Syste 6:3. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​soils​ystem​s6010​003
doi.​org/​10.​1371/​journ​al.​pbio.​30011​30

13
Journal of Soils and Sediments

Tomczyk A, Sokołowska Z, Boguta P (2020) Biochar physicochemi- status in two agricultural soils. Bull Environ Contam Toxicology
cal properties: pyrolysis temperature and feedstock kind effects. 106:236–244. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s00128-​020-​02900-2
Rev Environ Sci Biotechnol 19:191–215. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​ Yan Y, Chen Z, Zhu F, Zhu C, Wang C, Gu C (2021) Effect of polyvinyl
s11157-​020-​09523-3 chloride microplastics on bacterial community and nutrient status
Van DZ, Stofberg SF, Yang X, Liu Y, Islam MN, Hu YF (2017) Irriga- in two agricultural soils. Bull Environ Contam Toxicol 107:602–
tion and drainage in agriculture: a salinity and environmental 609. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​s00128-​020-​02900-2
perspective, in: Current perspective on irrigation and drainage. Yang M, Huang DY, Tian YB, Zhu QH, Zhang Q, Zhu HH, Xu C (2021)
InTech Rijeka Croatia pp1–21. https://​doi.​org/​10.​5772/​63177 Influences of different source microplastics with different particle
Wan Y, Wu C, Xue Q, Hui X (2019) Effects of plastic contamination sizes and application rates on soil properties and growth of Chi-
on water evaporation and desiccation cracking in soil. Sci Total nese cabbage (Brassica chinensis L.). Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 222:
Environ 654:576–582. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2018.​ 112480. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​ecoenv.​2021.​112480
11.​123 Yang T, Siddique KH, Liu K (2020) Cropping systems in agriculture and
Wang F, Wang X, Song N (2021a) Polyethylene microplastics increase their impact on soil health-a review. Glob Ecol Conserv 23:01118.
cadmium uptake in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by altering the soil https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​gecco.​2020.​e01118
microenvironment. Sci Total Environ. 784: 147133. https://​doi.​ Yoder DC, Jagadamma S, Singh S, Nouri A, Xu S, Saha D, Schaeffer
org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2021a SM, Adotey N, Walker FR, Lee J, Budipradigdo M (2022) Soil
Wang F, Wang X, Song N (2021b) Polyethylene microplastics increase health: meaning, measurement, and value through a critical zone
cadmium uptake in lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) by altering the soil lens. J Soil Water Conserv 77:88–99. https://​doi.​org/​10.​2489/​jswc.​
microenvironment. Sci Total Environ 784:147133. https://d​ oi.​ 2022.​00042
org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2021b Yu H, Fan P, Hou J, Dang Q, Cui D, Xi B, Tan W (2020) Inhibitory
Wang Q, Feng X, Liu Y, Cui W, Sun Y, Zhang S, Wang F (2022) effect of microplastics on soil extracellular enzymatic activities by
Effects of microplastics and carbon nanotubes on soil geo- changing soil properties and direct adsorption: an investigation at
chemical properties and bacterial communities. J Hazard Mater the aggregate-fraction level. Environ Pollut 267:115544. https://​
1433:28826. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2022.​128826 doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2020.​115544
Wang S, Tang J, Li Z, Liu Y, Zhou Z, Wang J, Qu Y, Dai Z (2020a) Yu H, Qi W, Cao X, Hu J, Li Y, Peng J, Hu C, Qu J (2021) Microplastic
Carbon mineralization under different saline—alkali stress condi- residues in wetland ecosystems: do they truly threaten the plant-
tions in paddy fields of Northeast China. Sustainability 12:2921– microbe-soil system? Environ Int 156:106708. https://​doi.o​ rg/1​ 0.​
2938. https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​su120​72921 1016/j.​envint.​2021.​106708
Wang W, Ge J, Yu X, Li H (2020b) Environmental fate and impacts of Zaman M, Shahid SA, Heng L (2018) Guideline for salinity assess-
microplastics in soil ecosystems: progress and perspective. Sci ment, mitigation and adaptation using nuclear and related tech-
Total Environ 708:134841. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​ niques. Springer, Nature, pp 25–183. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1007/​
2019.​134841 978-3-​319-​96190-3
Wang Z, Wang W, Wang Z, Liu Y, Ma M, Wu J (2021c) Impact of a Zhang GS, Hu XB, Zhang XX, Li J (2015) Effects of plastic mulch and
long-term cultivation on low molecular weight organic acids in crop rotation on soil physical properties in rain-fed vegetable pro-
greenhouse soil and their influence on vegetable uptake heavy met- duction in the mid-Yunnan plateau, China. Soil till Res 145:111–
als. Soil and Sediment Contamination: An International Journal 117. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​still.​2014.​09.​010
30:1–11.https://​doi.​org/​10.​1080/​15320​383.​2020.​17791​77 Zhang GS, Zhang FX (2020) Variations in aggregate-associated organic
Wanniarachchi D, Cheema M, Thomas R, Kavanagh V, Galagedara L carbon and polyester microfibers resulting from polyester microfib-
(2019) Impact of soil amendments on the hydraulic conductivity ers addition in a clayey soil. Environ Pollut 258:113716. https://​doi.​
of boreal agricultural podzols. Agriculture 9:133–145. https://​doi.​ org/​10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2019.​113716
org/​10.​3390/​agric​ultur​e9060​133 Zhang GS, Zhang FX, Li XT (2019) Effects of polyester microfibers on
Williams H, Colombi T, Keller T (2020) The influence of soil management soil physical properties: perception from a field and a pot experi-
on soil health: an on-farm study in southern Sweden. Geoderma ment. Sci Total Environ 670:1–7. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​
360:114010. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​geode​rma.​2019.​114010 2019.​03.​149
Winsor S (2021) The potassium paradox: clay type affects potassium Zhang P, Peng H, Hongwen S, Jianli M, Beixing L (2020a) The structure
availability. Crops Soils 54:14–21. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​crso.​ of agricultural microplastics (PT, PU and UF) and their sorption
20114 capacities for PAHs and PHE derivates under various salinity and
Xiao M, Luo Y, Zhang H, Yu Y, Yao H, Zhu Z, Chadwick DR, Jones D, oxidation treatments. Environ Pollut 257:113525. https://​doi.​org/​
Chen J, Ge T (2022) Microplastics shape microbial communities 10.​1016/j.​envpol.​2019.​113525
affecting soil organic matter decomposition in paddy soil. J Hazard Zhang S, Han B, Sun Y, Wang F (2020b) Microplastics influence the
Mater 431:128589. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2022.​128589 adsorption and desorption characteristics of Cd in an agricultural
Xing X, Yu M, Xia T, Ma L (2021) Interactions between water flow soil. J Hazard Mater 388:121775. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​
and microplastics in silt loam and loamy sand. Soil Sci Soc Am 2019.​121775
J 85:1956–1962. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1002/​saj2.​20337 Zhang Y, Li X, Xiao M, Feng Z, Yu Y, Yao H (2022) Effects of micro-
Xiong Y, Zhang Q, Chen X, Bao A, Zhang J, Wang Y (2019) Large plastics on soil carbon dioxide emissions and the microbial func-
scale agricultural plastic mulch detecting and monitoring with tional genes involved in organic carbon decomposition in agricul-
multi-source remote sensing data: a case study in Xinjiang, China. tural soil. Sci Total Environ 806:150714. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​
Remote Sens 11:2088–20113. https://d​ oi.o​ rg/1​ 0.3​ 390/r​ s1118​ 2088 scito​tenv.​2021.​150714
Xu B, Liu F, Cryder Z, Huang D, Lu Z, He Y, Wang H, Lu Z, Brookes P, Zhao M, Liu R, Wang X, Zhang J, Wang J, Cao B, Zhao Y, Xu L, CHEN
Gan J, Xu J (2020) Microplastics in the soil environment: occur- HY, Zou G (2022) Controlled-release fertilizer-coated microplas-
rence, risks, interactions, and fate-a review. Crit Rev Environ Sci tics can dynamically affect the availability of cadmium by regulat-
Technol 50:2175–2222. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1080/​10643​389.​2019.​ ing the soil environment. 4075806. https://​doi.​org/​10.​2139/​ssrn.​
16948​22 40758​06
Yan Y, Chen Z, Zhu F, Zhu C, Wang C, Gu C (2020) Effect of poly- Zhao T, Lozano YM, Rillig MC (2021a) Microplastics increase soil pH
vinyl chloride microplastics on bacterial community and nutrient and decrease microbial activities as a function of microplastic

13
 Journal of Soils and Sediments

shape, polymer type, and exposure time. Front Environ Sci 9. http:// health in agroecosystems. Sci Total Environ 787:147444. https://​
dx.doi.org/https://​doi.​org/​10.​17169/​refub​ium-​31030 doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​scito​tenv.​2021.​147444
Zhao Y, Li Y, Wang J, Pang H, Li Y (2016) Buried straw layer plus Zheng Y, Li J, Sun C, Cao W, Wang M, Jiang F, Ju P (2021) Compara-
plastic mulching reduces soil salinity and increases sunflower yield tive study of three sampling methods for microplastics analysis in
in saline soils. Soil Tillage Res 155:363–370. https://​doi.​org/​10.​ seawater. Sci Total Environ 765:144495. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​
1016/j.​still.​2015.​08.​019 scito​tenv.​2020.​144495
Zhao ZY, Wang PY, Wang YB, Zhou R, Koskei K, Munyasya AN, Liu Zhu F, Yan Y, Doyle E, Zhu C, Jin X, Chen Z, Wang C, He H, Zhou
ST, Wang W, Su YZ, Xiong YC (2021b) Fate of plastic film resi- D, Gu C (2022) Microplastics altered soil microbiome and nitro-
dues in agro-ecosystem and its effects on aggregate-associated soil gen cycling: the role of phthalate plasticizer. J Hazard Mater
carbon and nitrogen stocks. J Hazard Mater 416:125954. https://​ 427:127944. https://​doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2021.​127944
doi.​org/​10.​1016/j.​jhazm​at.​2021.​125954
Zhou J, Wen Y, Marshall MR, Zhao J, Gui H, Yang Y, Zeng Z, Jones DL, Publisher's Note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to
Zang H (2021) Microplastics as an emerging threat to plant and soil jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

13