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Nano-plastic contamination in soil: impacts on rhizosphere volatile organic compound (VOC) signaling and rice disease susceptibility—a comprehensive review
Original title: Nano-plastic contamination in soil: impacts on rhizosphere volatile organic compound (VOC) signaling and rice disease susceptibility—a comprehensive review
Summary
Tiny plastic particles from everyday products are contaminating farm soil and making rice plants more vulnerable to fungal diseases by interfering with the natural chemical signals plants use to fight off infections. This matters because it could reduce crop yields and potentially allow more pesticides to be used, while these same plastic particles can eventually end up in our food and water. This review suggests that plastic pollution in soil is a bigger problem for farming than scientists previously realized.
Polyvinyl chloride nanoplastics (PVC-NPs) are emerging pollutants that pose a significant threat to agricultural soils, where they may disrupt rhizosphere volatile organic compound (VOC) signaling and intensify rice blast disease caused by Magnaporthe oryzae. The widespread use of PVC-NPs may result in their accumulation in rice-cultivated soils, where their physicochemical properties interfere with and adversely affect the soil microbial communities and root physiology. Evidence from recent studies indicates that PVC-NPs physically adsorb and metabolically suppress key defensive VOCs (β-caryophyllene and hexanal) and disrupt the microbial symbionts responsible for producing antifungal volatiles. This review provides a comprehensive examination of PVC-NP-specific mechanisms in rice systems, distinguishing it from broader microplastic studies by emphasizing the emerging importance of volatilome-pathogen interactions. Environmental implications include soil biodiversity loss, groundwater contamination, and bioaccumulation in food chains, thereby increasing human health risks.