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Biodegradable microplastics induce more soil nitrous oxide emission than conventional in semi-arid Loess Plateau
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Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable (PLA) and conventional (PE) microplastics on soil nitrous oxide emissions in semi-arid conditions. The study found that biodegradable PLA microplastics triggered 2.3 to 2.8 times more nitrous oxide emissions than polyethylene counterparts, primarily by depleting soil oxygen more severely and stimulating denitrification processes.
Biodegradable plastics, proposed as sustainable alternatives of conventional plastics, pose risk to soil ecosystems and play critical roles in regulating soil greenhouse gas emission. Yet, how biodegradable microplastics (MPs) exposure affect the soil nitrous oxide (NO) emission and underlying mechanisms remains poorly unclear. This study investigated the effects of biodegradable (polylactic acid, PLA) MPs and conventional (polyethylene, PE) MPs on soil NO concentration and emissions using a soil column experiment. Soil NO concentration and emission were measured during NO "hot moment" events induced by simulated rainfall events, alongside high-frequently monitor of soil oxygen (O) concentration. Simultaneously, microbial functional genes related to nitrification and denitrification were measured to compare their contribution to NO production. We found that exposure of MPs triggered NO pulse by reducing O concentration, and cumulative NO emissions in PLA treatments increased by 2.3-2.8 folds higher than their counterparts in PE treatments. Consumptions of O caused by MPs exposure was dose-dependent, with minimum O concentration ranged 16.2-18.3 % for PE treatments and 4.0-12.0 % for PLA treatments, respectively. Denitrification emerged as the primary contributor of increased NO concentration, as evidenced by increased in nirK and nirS genes, particularly when soil O concentrations dropped to 7.2-12.3 % in PLA treatments. Overall, our findings underscore biodegradable MPs could intensity O consumption and NO production, offering critical insights for risk management strategies and guiding the application of biodegradable plastics in future agricultural contexts.
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Biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics pose greater field nitrous oxide emission risks than conventional polyethylene by reshaping microbial production-reduction pathways in a wheat-maize rotation system.
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In a field experiment with wheat and maize crops, soil mixed with biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics released 39 to 61% more nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas, than untreated soil, by altering microbial processes. Conventional polyethylene microplastics caused smaller, less consistent changes, suggesting biodegradable plastics are not automatically safer for soil.
Biodegradable Microplastics Increase N2O Emission from Denitrifying Sludge More Than Conventional Microplastics
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Researchers compared how biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect nitrous oxide emissions during wastewater denitrification. They found that biodegradable microplastics actually increased nitrous oxide production more than conventional plastics by serving as an additional carbon source that disrupted the normal denitrification process. The study challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always environmentally preferable, at least in wastewater treatment settings.
Divergent effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on denitrification in soils: Mechanisms governing N₂O emission and product stoichiometry
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Microplastics from farm soils don't just pollute the land, they may also be quietly fueling climate change. This study found that "conventional" plastics (the everyday, non-biodegradable kind) cause soil bacteria to release more nitrous oxide, a greenhouse gas nearly 300 times more potent than CO₂, while so-called "biodegradable" plastics can trigger a different pollution problem by increasing another harmful gas under wet conditions. The takeaway: not all plastics behave the same way once they're in soil, so the "biodegradable" label doesn't guarantee a cleaner environmental outcome, espec
Effects of biodegradable microplastics and straw addition on soil greenhouse gas emissions
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Researchers tested how biodegradable microplastics made from polylactic acid (PLA) affect greenhouse gas emissions from soil, both with and without added crop straw. They found that high concentrations of PLA microplastics significantly increased carbon dioxide emissions while decreasing nitrous oxide emissions, suggesting that even biodegradable alternatives to conventional plastic mulch films can meaningfully alter soil chemistry and gas cycles.
Microplastic composition-dependent effects on N2O emissions driven by changes in soil N process and microbial communities
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This study found that biodegradable and conventional microplastics both reduced nitrous oxide emissions from plant-soil systems by 17-32%, but through different mechanisms: polyethylene promoted complete denitrification, PLA suppressed a key denitrification gene, and PBAT inhibited both nitrification and denitrification. A companion meta-analysis of 14 plant-soil studies confirmed that microplastics reduce N2O emissions by an average of 22% in vegetated systems.
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