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Functionalization of slow-release fertilizers and “passive predation microplastics” mechanism for polylactic acid composites
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Researchers developed a biodegradable fertilizer film made from polylactic acid (PLA) and modified lignin that can slowly release nutrients while breaking down naturally in soil, offering an alternative to conventional plastic mulch. The study also explored how plants absorb tiny fragments of bio-based plastics, which is important for understanding whether even biodegradable alternatives still pose risks to food safety.
The large-scale use of nonrenewable plastic mulch has resulted in serious agricultural health pollution. Biobased plastic materials with degradable properties offer attractive sustainable alternatives, but the shortcomings of their properties are slow degradation and extremely monofunctional, making their full-scale promotion still challenging. This work proposes a novel functionalized strategy for the multifunctionality empowerment of bio-based PLA materials for environmental protection and crop yield enhancement. This strategy relies on the effective combination of amine-modified lignin hybrid filler (L-U) and PLA matrix, which generates a hydrogen bonding network that can effectively synergize to improve crystalline ability and mechanical properties of PLA. In addition, L-U can effectively increase the PLA matrix degradation sites and improve its hydrophilicity to enhance its degradation properties further. In agricultural mulch, the functionalized materials (PLU) have high water insulation, biodegradability, and excellent slow release of nutrients, which can effectively improve the utilization of fertilizers and reduce the dependence of industrial fertilizers in agricultural systems. In addition, the "passive predation" mode of plants on bio-based polyester-based micron-sized microplastics was explored, which can better understand the adsorption characteristics of biopolyester-based micron-sized microplastics on plants, thus reducing the potential risk to food yield, quality, and safety.
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Researchers developed biodegradable polylactic acid mulch films reinforced with hyperbranched cellulose nanocrystals, demonstrating tunable degradation rates under soil burial, seawater, and UV aging conditions alongside enhanced mechanical strength and crop yield — offering a viable petroleum-free alternative to conventional agricultural plastic mulch.
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Degradation of Polylactic Acid/Polypropylene Carbonate Films in Soil and Phosphate Buffer and Their Potential Usefulness in Agriculture and Agrochemistry
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Researchers studied how blends of polylactic acid and polypropylene carbonate, two biodegradable plastics being promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, break down in soil and in laboratory conditions over time. The degradation was slow and incomplete, with the films losing weight and molecular structure gradually over 24 months. This raises concerns that even biodegradable plastics may persist in the environment long enough to fragment into microplastics before fully breaking down.
Deep eutectic solvent-mediated extraction of lignin: A novel strategy for producing high-quality biopolymers in controlled-release mulching applications
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Researchers developed a biodegradable mulch film made from lignin, chitosan, and polyvinyl alcohol that can also slowly release fertilizer to crops. The film matched the thermal insulation and water retention properties of conventional plastic mulch while breaking down naturally in soil. The study offers a promising alternative to plastic mulch films, which are a major source of microplastic contamination in agricultural soils.
Environmental impacts of polylactic acid microplastics on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems: more threatening compared to traditional microplastics?
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This review summarizes existing research on "biodegradable" PLA microplastics in soil and water environments. Studies found PLA microplastics can change soil nutrient cycling, microbial communities, and plant and animal health, sometimes differing from conventional plastics in these effects. The review notes long-term impacts remain unclear and calls for further comparative research.
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