Effects of microplastics on soil microorganisms and microbial functions in nutrients and carbon cycling – A review

The harmful effects of microplastics (MPs) pollution in the soil ecosystem have drawn global attention in recent years. This paper critically reviews the effects of MPs on soil microbial diversity and functions in relation to nutrients and carbon cycling. Reports suggested that both plastisphere (MP-microbe consortium) and MP-contaminated soils had distinct and lower microbial diversity than that of non-contaminated soils. Alteration in soil physicochemical properties and microbial interactions within the plastisphere facilitated the enrichment of plastic-degrading microorganisms, including those involved in carbon (C) and nutrient cycling. MPs conferred a significant increase in the relative abundance of soil…