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DOM-mediated interaction of DOM-enzyme-pollutants affected the toxicity of combined aged tire wear particles (aged-TWPs) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in soil under successive extreme weather stress
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Tire dust and "forever chemicals" (PFASs) often end up together in soil, and this study found that during extreme weather like heatwaves and floods, natural organic matter in soil can actually help offset some of the toxic effects these pollutants have on soil bacteria and enzymes. This matters because soil health underpins food safety and ecosystem stability, and understanding how climate extremes interact with pollution can help predict risks to the food chain as extreme weather becomes more common. That said, this research was done in soil, not in humans, so more work is needed to know what this means for direct human health effects.
Extreme weather stress is posing growing threats to ecosystems, as they directly disturb soil moisture and affect the toxicity of pollutants, thereby increasing ecological risks. This study investigated how successive extreme climate stress (heatwave, heatwave-drought, and flood) affected the toxicity of co-exposed aged tire wear particles (aged-TWPs) and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs). Results revealed that the combined contamination (COM) significantly altered bacterial diversity and community composition, with the responses varying across the three successive extreme weather stress. Under three extreme weather stress, compared to the control group, the COM did not significantly induce the oxidative stress and cellular membrane damage caused by the individual contamination. The COM increased the aromaticity, hydrophobicity, and humification degree of dissolved organic matter (DOM), particularly under flood stress. The terrestrial esters within DOM significantly shifted the bacterial community. Under three extreme weather stress, the COM increased activities of selected C/N/P cycling enzymes. Interaction of DOM-Enzyme-Pollutants analysis confirmed that DOM, particularly from COM under flood stress, counteracted pollutants-induced conformational loosen of extracellular enzymes in C/N/P cycles and restored enzyme activities. This study provided novel insights into effects of co-exposure of PFASs and aged-TWPs on soil ecosystem under successive extreme weather stress.
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Effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on soil structure and function
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Researchers exposed soil in laboratory experiments to three types of PFAS "forever chemicals" and found that even tiny concentrations altered key soil health indicators, including accelerating organic matter breakdown, changing soil pH, and disrupting the balance of bacteria and fungi. The results suggest PFAS pollution may be quietly undermining soil ecosystem functions across agricultural and natural landscapes worldwide.
Microbial ecosystem disruption under persistent organic pollutant stress: Consequences for soil biogeochemistry and environmental sustainability – A review
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This review examines how persistent organic pollutants disrupt soil microbial communities and the nutrient cycling processes they drive. Researchers found that these chemicals cause diversity loss, suppress beneficial microbes, and impair the cycling of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus in soils. The study also explores how co-contamination with microplastics and heavy metals can produce compounding effects on soil health, creating risks for agricultural productivity and ecosystem stability.
Stress of soil moisture and temperature exacerbates the toxicity of tire wear particles to soil fauna: Tracking the role of additives through host microbiota.
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This study examined how soil moisture and temperature stresses modify the toxicity of tire wear particles to soil invertebrates (Enchytraeus crypticus), finding that drought and high temperature conditions significantly increased toxicity. The results suggest that climate change may amplify the ecotoxicological risks of tire particle contamination in soils.
Microplastic and nanoplastic interactions with per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in soils: a critical review of main findings and knowledge gaps.
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Microplastics in soil (from things like compost, sewage sludge, and irrigation water) can sometimes team up with "forever chemicals" (PFAS) and carry them further into the environment, but this review of 37 studies found it's not a guaranteed effect, since it depends heavily on the type of plastic, soil conditions, and chemical properties involved. This matters because PFAS and microplastics both end up in the food we grow, but scientists still don't know exactly when or how much plastics make PFAS contamination worse, so more real-world (not just lab) testing is needed before we can say how big a risk this combo poses to our food and health
Effects of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances on soil structure and function
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This review examines how PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) — often called forever chemicals — affect soil structure and the microbial communities that drive nutrient cycling. PFAS are found in many plastic-associated products and coatings and persist in soils for decades. The authors identify significant gaps in understanding how PFAS concentrations found in real-world soils affect ecosystem health.
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