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Biochar enhances microbial nitrogen retention in polylactic acid-contaminated soil under freeze-thaw cycles
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Researchers simulated repeated freeze-thaw cycles on soil amended with polylactic acid microplastics and biochar, finding that biochar mitigated PLA-driven disruptions to nitrogen cycling by raising soil pH, suppressing denitrification genes, upregulating nitrogen assimilation pathways, and reshaping the microbial community toward nitrogen-retaining taxa — with implications for managing biodegradable plastic residues in cold-region farmland.
In the context of global climate change and the increasing use of biodegradable plastics, the freeze-thaw cycles and the residual microplastics from polylactic acid (PLA) pose combined stress on soil nitrogen cycling. However, research on the interactive effects of these two factors and the regulatory mechanisms of biochar remains insufficient. This study conducted an indoor simulated freeze-thaw cycle, establishing control (CK), biochar (3%, B), PLA (2%, L), and their composite (BL) treatments to systematically investigate the response mechanisms of biochar to PLA-contaminated soil microbial nitrogen cycle. The results indicated that the BL treatment significantly increased soil pH by 8.39%-11.12% (P < 0.05) after the 20th freeze-thaw cycle and alleviated the decrease in electrical conductivity caused by PLA. Additionally, the BL treatment significantly reduced the ammonium nitrogen content in soil (lower by 48.65%-61.32% compared to other treatments) and the nitrate nitrogen content, while increasing urease activity. Moreover, the catalase activity was enhanced by 5.94%-7.53% compared to L treatment (P < 0.05). Microbial community analysis showed that BL treatment alleviated the inhibition of the phylum Proteobacteria by PLA, promoted the enrichment of Actinobacteria, and upregulated the expression of nitrogen assimilation genes (such as nasA and nrtD), while suppressing the activity of denitrification functional genes (such as nirS and norB). Structural equation modeling further elucidated that biochar primarily enhanced nitrogen retention via indirect pathways by improving soil chemical properties and reshaping microbial community structure and function. This research provides a theoretical basis for ecological risk assessment of biodegradable film residues in cold-region farmland and biochar remediation.
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Researchers conducted a 21-day micro-soil culture experiment to assess the effects of biochar amendment on physicochemical properties and bacterial communities in calcareous soil contaminated with microplastics, using 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Biochar slowed decreases in nitrate nitrogen and Olsen-P in microplastic-contaminated soil and increased the relative abundance of stress-tolerant phyla including Acidobacteriota, Actinobacteriota, and Bacteroidota.
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Biochar was applied to microplastic-contaminated agricultural soil under different moisture conditions, with results showing that biochar improved soil chemical properties and shifted microbial communities in ways that partially offset microplastic-induced degradation. The study suggests biochar as a practical soil amendment to mitigate microplastic impacts in farming systems.
Biochar-mediated remediation of low-density polyethylene microplastic-polluted soil-plant systems: Role of phosphorus and protist community responses
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Researchers found that adding biochar (a charcoal-like soil additive) to soil contaminated with microplastics helped improve plant growth by restoring phosphorus cycling. The microplastics disrupted soil microbe communities, but biochar treatment shifted these communities in beneficial ways. This suggests biochar could be a practical tool for farming in soils contaminated with plastic pollution.
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Researchers studied how adding biochar to acidic soil affects the breakdown of polylactic acid microplastics over one year. They found that both chicken manure and wood waste biochars accelerated the degradation of the biodegradable microplastics by altering soil chemistry and microbial activity. The findings suggest that biochar could be a useful tool for speeding up the decomposition of biodegradable plastic residues in agricultural soils.
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