Pseudo-Aggregation: Microplastic Input Induces Apparent but Unstable Soil Structure in Agricultural Soils

Lin Wang; Wei Gong; Yi Liu; Yifei Wang; Dong Zhu; Peng Chen

doi:10.1016/j.eng.2026.07.040

Engineering ›› :202607040 DOI: 10.1016/j.eng.2026.07.040

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Pseudo-Aggregation: Microplastic Input Induces Apparent but Unstable Soil Structure in Agricultural Soils

Lin Wang ^a^,^b^,^#
, Wei Gong ^a^,^c^,^#
, Yi Liu ^a^,^c^,^*
, Yifei Wang ^d
, Dong Zhu ^d
, Peng Chen ^a^,^c^,^*

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Abstract

Microplastics (MPs) are increasingly recognized as emerging soil pollutants that alter soil structure and function, yet the mechanisms through which they reshape soil aggregation remain poorly understood. Here, we coupled a nationwide paired field survey with uniform-sized aggregate reconstructions, i.e., large macroaggregates (LMA, >5 mm); medium-sized aggregates (MEA, 0.25–5 mm); and microaggregates (MIA, < 0.25 mm), to investigate how MPs influence soil aggregate turnover across the disintegration–formation–stabilization stages. We validated the pseudo-aggregation hypothesis that MPs physically reinforce mechanical aggregate stability but fail to sustain water-stable structures. Field observations showed that plastic inputs significantly increased the mean weight diameter (MWD) and geometric mean diameter (GMD) under dry sieving (MWD_D and GMD_D, respectively) but did not improve water stability indices (the above two parameters under wet sieving, i.e., MWD_W and GMD_W), and also increased the percentage of aggregate destruction (PAD). Partial least squares structural equation modeling and random forest analyses further indicated that MPs strongly promoted mechanical stability, whereas water stability and PAD were primarily associated with soil properties, soil nutrients, and microbial activity. In 210-day laboratory reconstructions, MPs generally slowed the disintegration of LMA and promoted the aggregation of MIA, confirming their structural but not functional reinforcement. Collectively, these results identify LMA as the main fraction affected by MP-induced pseudo-aggregation and highlight water stability as a key metric for soil-structure risk assessment and agricultural management.

Keywords

Microplastics / Soil structure / Aggregate turnover / Soil aggregate / Uniform-sized reconstruction

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Lin Wang, Wei Gong, Yi Liu, Yifei Wang, Dong Zhu, Peng Chen. Pseudo-Aggregation: Microplastic Input Induces Apparent but Unstable Soil Structure in Agricultural Soils. Engineering 202607040 DOI:10.1016/j.eng.2026.07.040

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