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Straw addition promotes biodegradable microplastic degradation and affects soil ecosystems: A comparative study across different soil types
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A 120-day lab test mixed crop straw into loam and sandy soil containing biodegradable plastic particles (PBAT). Straw sped up plastic breakdown and boosted certain soil microbes and enzymes, with stronger effects in organic-rich loam than in sandy soil.
Biodegradable microplastics (bio-MPs), specifically poly(butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) microplastics (PBAT-MPs), are an emerging soil contaminant of significant concern. While straw incorporation is a common agricultural practice, the biochemical interactions between crop residues and PBAT-MPs across diverse soil habitats remain poorly understood. Specifically, it is unclear how soil texture and initial organic matter availability modulate the microbial response and subsequent plastic degradation. This study conducted a 120-day incubation experiment using loam and sandy soils to investigate these driving factors. Results indicated that straw incorporation significantly accelerated PBAT-MP degradation. The most pronounced effect was observed in organic-rich loam under high-dose (5%) straw treatment, where the carbonyl index (CI) decreased substantially, indicating enhanced polymer oxidation. Straw improved soil physicochemical properties, increasing organic matter (SOM) by 23.4% in loam and 76.0% in sandy soil. Furthermore, straw stimulated FDA hydrolase, β-glucosidase, and cellulase activities by up to 137.4%, 23.6%, and 64.0%, respectively, compared to microplastic-only treatments. Although straw promoted degradation in both soil types, the process was more efficient in loam. This is because native organic matter provided greater microbial metabolic stability and mitigated nutrient limitations during the co-metabolic breakdown of polymers. Partial least squares path analysis (PLS-PM) confirmed these findings. It revealed that straw-induced changes in microbial structure, particularly the enrichment of the Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes phyla, were the primary drivers of accelerated PBAT degradation. Our findings highlight that the ecological benefits of straw return in mitigating plastic pollution are context-dependent and most effective in soils with higher intrinsic organic content.
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Effects of microplastics on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions in the context of straw incorporation: A comparison with different types of soil
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Researchers combined microplastic treatments with straw incorporation in different soil types and measured effects on soil organic carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, finding that microplastics altered carbon cycling and in some soils increased CO2 and N2O emissions.
Aging of biodegradable plastics alters soil aggregate stability and organic carbon through shifts in microbial community composition
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Researchers examined how polylactic acid (PLA) drinking straw fragments at varying concentrations alter soil aggregate stability, organic carbon, and microbial communities, finding that moderate concentrations initially boosted aggregate stability and microbial diversity before higher concentrations caused decline, while PLA degradation enriched potentially pathogenic bacteria.
PBAT biodegradable microplastics enhanced organic matter decomposition capacity and CO2 emission in soils with and without straw residue
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Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics, commonly used in agricultural films, significantly increased carbon dioxide emissions from soil over 120 days. Evidence indicates that as the microplastics broke down, they stimulated soil microbes to also decompose existing organic matter at a faster rate, suggesting that biodegradable plastics may accelerate carbon release from agricultural soils.
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