Effect of microplastic pollution on selected physico-chemical and microbiological properties of soil and bacterial/fungal community composition

Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of microplastic pollution (MP), resulting from the degradation of polypropylene (PP) ground cover and low-density polyethylene (PE) seedling bags commonly used in agricultural production, on soil properties.Materials and Methods: Two different types of MPs (PP and PE) were added to clay-loam soil at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 3%. The experiment conducted using a randomized complete block design, lasted 3.5 months. Physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses were performed on soil samples taken at the end of the experiment.Results: Bulk density and soil organic carbon were significantly influenced by both MP type and dose, whereas soil pH showed a significant MT × MD interaction. Water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, soil respiration, dehydrogenase activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity were not significantly affected by the treatments.Conclusion: The results demonstrated that MP application influenced several soil properties, although the magnitude and consistency of these effects varied depending on polymer type and application dose.