We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Diverse microplastics reprogram rhizosphere processes and constrain photosynthetic performance in barley through coordinated changes in oxidative regulation, nutrient cycling, enzyme hotspots, and microbial organization
AI summary Read the abstract
A greenhouse study grew barley in soil mixed with high levels of polyethylene or polyvinyl chloride microplastics for 60 days. The plastics changed soil nutrients, enzyme activity, and microbial communities, and were linked to lower antioxidant activity and reduced photosynthesis in the plants. Researchers noted the high plastic levels and short timeframe mean results may not reflect real farm conditions.
This study examined short-term responses of barley to polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics in a controlled 60-day greenhouse rhizobox experiment with three replicates per treatment. Microplastics were applied at 0, 2, and 4% of dry soil mass, corresponding to high experimental loadings of 20,000 and 40,000 mg kg-1, respectively. Bulk and rhizosphere soils were evaluated separately using enzyme zymography, nutrient analysis, amplicon sequencing, microbial network analysis, Mantel tests, and structural equation modeling. Higher polyethylene exposure and both polyvinyl chloride treatments reduced superoxide dismutase activity by 16.27-39.12%, increased peroxidase activity by 33.09-67.07%, and reduced net photosynthetic rate by 18.02-24.79%. Microplastic treatments also altered the availability of ammonium, nitrate, and Olsen phosphorus and reorganized the spatial distribution of extracellular enzyme activity. Selected β-1,4-glucosidase, β-1,4-xylosidase, and 4-N-acetyl-glucosaminidase hotspots increased, whereas phosphatase hotspots declined across all microplastic treatments. Changes were also detected in bacterial and fungal diversity and microbial network organization, with lower bacterial network complexity and greater fungal network complexity in the rhizosphere. Structural equation modeling explained approximately 60% of the variation in net photosynthetic rate, with barley antioxidant enzyme responses and soil hydrolytic activity showing the strongest negative associations. These results provide short-term evidence that high microplastic loadings can modify interconnected plant and rhizosphere processes under controlled greenhouse conditions. Given the limited replication, short experimental duration, and high exposure levels, these responses should not be interpreted as evidence of field-level causality. Field experiments using environmentally realistic concentrations and longer exposure periods are required to determine their agricultural relevance.
More Papers Like This
Rhizosphere microbial activities in response to combined effects of drought and microplastic
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how combined drought stress and microplastic contamination affect rhizosphere microbial activities, finding that microplastics exacerbated drought-induced suppression of soil enzyme activities and altered microbial community structure around plant roots.
From the rhizosphere to plant fitness: Implications of microplastics soil pollution
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers exposed strawberry plants to low-density polyethylene microplastics in soil and found significant harm, including reduced chlorophyll levels, altered nutrient uptake, and increased stress responses. The microplastics also shifted the soil microbiome toward potentially harmful fungi and bacteria. These findings show that microplastics in agricultural soil can damage crop health and change the microbial community that plants depend on.
Effects of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on soil-plant microbial dynamics
AI summary Read the abstract
This study examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with heavy metals in soil and found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth while altering soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. The combination of microplastics and heavy metals disrupted nutrient cycling in the soil in ways that were different from either pollutant alone. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop nutrition and food production.
Reprogramming of microbial community in barley root endosphere and rhizosphere soil by polystyrene plastics with different particle sizes
AI summary Read the abstract
Barley plants grown in polystyrene microplastic- and nanoplastic-contaminated soil showed altered microbial communities in both the root endosphere and rhizosphere, suggesting plastic pollution can reshape plant-associated microbiomes. These shifts could have downstream consequences for plant health and soil nutrient cycling.
Polyethylene microplastics alter soil microbial community assembly and ecosystem multifunctionality
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers studied how polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations affect soil microbial communities and overall ecosystem function in a maize growing system. They found that higher concentrations of microplastics shifted microbial community composition, reduced beneficial bacteria involved in nutrient cycling, and impaired multiple soil ecosystem functions simultaneously. The study suggests that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils can undermine the biological processes that support healthy crop growth.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.