Multifaceted effects of microplastics on soil-plant systems: Exploring the role of particle type and plant species.

Autor: Chen Z; School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom; School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom. Electronic address: chenzhangling1101@gmail.com., Carter LJ; School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom., Banwart SA; School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom., Pramanik DD; School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom; Centre for Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering, Amity Institute of Biotechnology, Amity University, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201301, India., Kay P; School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: The Science of the total environment [Sci Total Environ] 2024 Dec 01; Vol. 954, pp. 176641. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Sep 30.
DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176641
Abstrakt: Microplastics have emerged as a global environmental concern, yet their impact on terrestrial environments, particularly agricultural soils, remains underexplored. Agricultural soils, due to intensive farming, may serve as significant sinks for microplastics. This study investigated the effects of different types of microplastics-polyester microfibers, polyethylene terephthalate microfragments, and polystyrene microspheres-on soil properties and radish growth, while a complementary experiment examined the impact of polyester microfibers on the growth of lettuce and Chinese cabbage. Through both horizontal and vertical comparisons, this research comprehensively evaluated the interactions between microplastic particles and plant species in soil-plant systems. The results showed that polyester microfibers significantly affected soil bulk density, with effects varying based on planting conditions (p < 0.01). Polyethylene terephthalate microfragments and polystyrene microspheres reduced the proportion of small soil macroaggregates under radish cultivation (p < 0.01). Additionally, polystyrene microspheres significantly altered the total organic carbon stock in radish-growing soil, potentially affecting the microclimate (p < 0.01). Interestingly, polyester microfibers promoted lettuce seed germination and significantly enhanced the root biomass of Chinese cabbage (p < 0.05). Overall, the environmental effects of microplastic exposure varied depending on the type of particle and plant species, suggesting that microplastics are not always harmful to soil-plant systems and may even offer benefits in certain scenarios. Given the crucial role of soil-plant systems in terrestrial ecosystems, and their direct connection to food safety, human health, and global change, further research should explore both the positive and negative impacts of microplastics on agricultural practices.
Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
Externí odkaz: