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Effects of polylactic acid microplastics on dissolved organic matter across soil types: Insights into molecular composition
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Researchers investigated how biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect dissolved organic matter in three different types of paddy soil. They found that the microplastics altered the molecular composition of organic matter in soil-specific ways, with some soils showing increased humic substances and others showing more protein-like compounds. The study highlights that even biodegradable plastics can change soil chemistry, and the effects vary depending on soil type.
Increasing evidence has highlighted the effects of biodegradable microplastics (MPs) on soil organic matter (SOM), but the role of soil type and incubation time remains unclear. This study investigated the effects of polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) on the amount and molecular composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM) across three paddy soil types (Ferralsol, Alfisol, and Mollisol) and incubation times, revealing soil-specific patterns in DOM transformation: PLA-MPs reduced DOM content in Ferralsol and Alfisol by 29.3-68.2 mg/kg and 27.3-30.9 mg/kg, respectively, but initially increased it in Mollisol (30 d: 220.9 mg/kg; 60 d: 622.0 mg/kg). Molecular analyses revealed a decrease in DOM component diversity at both 30 and 180 d, potentially due to PLA-MPs stimulating microbial activity and accelerating native SOM decomposition. PLA-MPs promoted the formation of CHO (containing carbon (C), hydrogen (H), and oxygen (O)) compounds, whereas microbes selectively decomposed CHONS (containing C, H, O, nitrogen (N), and sulfur (S)) compounds to meet C and N demands, particularly in Ferralsol and Alfisol. This study enhances the understanding of biodegradable MPs' impact on SOM, emphasizing the role of soil properties.
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Microplastics alter microbial structure and assembly processes in different soil types: Driving effects of environmental factors
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Researchers investigated how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional polyethylene microplastics affect soil microbial communities across different soil types. They found that PLA increased dissolved organic carbon and pH while decreasing nitrogen availability, whereas polyethylene had contrasting effects depending on soil type. The study reveals that microplastic impacts on microbial community structure and assembly processes are soil-type-specific, with dissolved organic carbon driving changes in red soil and pH being the primary factor in fluvo-aquic soil.
Soil-Dependent Microbial Metabolic Strategies Shape Microplastic-Induced Molecular Transformation of Dissolved Organic Matter
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Researchers studied two different farm soil types exposed to regular and biodegradable microplastics, tracking changes in dissolved organic matter and soil microbes. In nutrient-poor soil, biodegradable microplastics were linked to greater breakdown of organic matter and microbial changes favoring resource gathering, while in carbon-rich soil, effects were more limited and microbes favored growth-related traits.
Addition of biodegradable microplastics alters the quantity and chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in latosol
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Researchers found that adding biodegradable PBAT microplastics to tropical soil increased microbial and enzyme activity, which in turn altered the quantity and chemical diversity of dissolved organic matter, suggesting biodegradable plastics still significantly affect soil biogeochemistry.
Deciphering the Fingerprint of Dissolved Organic Matter in the Soil Amended with Biodegradable and Conventional Microplastics Based on Optical and Molecular Signatures
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Researchers compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional microplastics on dissolved organic matter in two soil types using advanced spectroscopy techniques. They found that biodegradable polybutylene succinate significantly increased dissolved organic carbon and generated more biologically active organic molecules, likely due to polymer degradation. Conventional microplastics showed subtler effects that varied between soil types, suggesting that both biodegradable and non-biodegradable plastics can alter soil chemistry in distinct ways.
MicrobialPhysiologicalAdaptation to BiodegradableMicroplastics Drives the Transformation and Reactivity of DissolvedOrganic Matter in Soil
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Researchers added virgin and aged polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoate microplastics to agricultural soils and found that microbial physiological adaptation to biodegradable plastics significantly altered the transformation and reactivity of dissolved organic matter over a 56-day incubation period.
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