Microplastics are now widely recognized as pollutants in oceans and waterways, but a growing body of research suggests they may pose equally serious risks on land. A new review highlights how microscopic plastic particles accumulating in soils can alter microbial genes that control essential ecosystem functions, potentially affecting food production, climate processes, and environmental health.
Soils act as major reservoirs for microplastics because plastics from agricultural films, compost, sewage sludge, and atmospheric deposition accumulate over time. Once present, these particles do more than persist. They interact with soil microbes and change the genetic processes that regulate nutrient cycling and ecosystem stability.
The study synthesizes recent evidence showing that microplastics can modify microbial genes linked to carbon and nitrogen transformations, two processes that control soil fertility and greenhouse gas emissions. Changes in these genes can disrupt how microbes decompose organic matter, fix nitrogen, and release gases such as carbon dioxide and nitrous oxide.
"Microplastics are not just inert fragments in soil," said the corresponding author. "They act as ecological agents that reshape microbial gene activity, and this can influence how soils function and respond to environmental change."
The review also highlights that microplastics can enhance the spread of antibiotic resistance genes in soil ecosystems. Plastic particles provide surfaces where microbes form biofilms, known as plastispheres, that can concentrate resistant bacteria and promote gene exchange. This raises concerns about the environmental pathways through which antibiotic resistance could spread from soils into crops, animals, and ultimately human populations.
In addition to effects in bulk soil, microplastics influence specialized environments such as the digestive systems of soil organisms. Earthworms, nematodes, and other fauna ingest plastic particles, altering the microbial genes in their gut communities. Because these organisms are central to soil food webs, the resulting changes may cascade through ecosystems.
Environmental factors such as warming, drought, and elevated carbon dioxide may further amplify these effects. The review suggests that climate change and microplastic pollution may interact in ways that intensify disruptions to microbial gene expression and nutrient cycling. Such interactions could accelerate greenhouse gas emissions or reduce soil productivity in agricultural systems.
The authors emphasize that most existing studies rely on short term laboratory experiments. They call for long term field studies and advanced techniques such as metagenomics, imaging tools, and isotope tracing to better understand how microplastics influence microbial genes under real environmental conditions.
"Our understanding of microplastics in soil is still developing," the author said. "To protect soil health and ecosystem resilience, we need to move beyond simply measuring plastic abundance and begin evaluating how these particles reshape microbial functions."
The review concludes that both conventional plastics and biodegradable alternatives can influence microbial gene activity, though often in different ways. Understanding these differences will be essential for guiding sustainable material choices and environmental policy.
As plastic production continues to rise globally, the findings underscore the importance of considering soils alongside oceans in efforts to manage plastic pollution. Protecting soil microbial processes is critical not only for agriculture but also for climate regulation and long term ecosystem stability.
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Journal reference: Wang H, Ma L, Xie L, Xie T, Zhang S, et al. 2026. Effects of microplastic on soil ecosystems: a perspective from functional genes. Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes 2: e008 doi: 10.48130/ebp-0026-0003
https://www.maxapress.com/article/doi/10.48130/ebp-0026-0003
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About the Journal:
Environmental and Biogeochemical Processes (e-ISSN 3070-1708) is a multidisciplinary platform for communicating advances in fundamental and applied research on the interactions and processes involving the cycling of elements and compounds between the biological, geological, and chemical components of the environment.
