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Biodegradable microplastics affect tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) growth by interfering rhizosphere key phylotypes
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Scientists found that biodegradable microplastics, often promoted as eco-friendly alternatives, can negatively affect tomato plant growth by disrupting beneficial soil bacteria around the roots. This suggests that even plastics designed to break down in the environment may still pose risks to agriculture and food production as they degrade into microplastic fragments.
Biodegradable microplastics (BMPs), which form as biodegradable plastics degrade in agricultural settings, may influence plant growth and soil health. This study investigates the effects of BMPs on tomato growth and the microbial mechanisms involved. A greenhouse experiment applied BMPs-polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polylactic acid (PLA), poly(butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate) (PBSA), and poly(butylene-adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT)-to tomato plants. The study analyzed their effects on plant growth, soil properties, and rhizosphere microbial communities. BMP treatments significantly reduced tomato biomass, height, and chlorophyll content compared to the control. PLA0.1 decreased the chlorophyll a/b ratio, while PLA1 increased it. Elemental analysis showed PLA1 increased phosphorus, calcium, and potassium in leaves, whereas all BMPs reduced nitrogen levels. BMPs also altered soil nitrogen and DOC levels, significantly shifting rhizosphere microbial communities, with a notable increase in Betaproteobacteria abundance. Ecological network analysis revealed that BMPs disrupted key microbial modules linked to plant growth. Beneficial modules positively associated with biomass and nutrient uptake were reduced under BMP treatments, whereas harmful microbial taxa in module 3, associated to poor plant health, were promoted. These shifts suggest that BMPs disrupt microbial ecological relationships critical for optimal plant growth. The findings highlight the potential negative impacts of BMPs on tomato growth through changes in microbial dynamics and soil properties.
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Biodegradable microplastics disrupt root exudate driven plant–microbe interactions, compromising plant growth and rhizosphere microenvironment health
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"Biodegradable" plastics are often marketed as eco-friendly alternatives to regular plastic, but new research shows their microscopic fragments can still harm plants: tomato plants grown in soil contaminated with these bio-microplastics grew worse and lost beneficial soil bacteria that normally help roots absorb nutrients and fight off stress. This matters because these same crops are part of our food supply, so if biodegradable plastics are quietly disrupting plant health and soil ecosystems, that's a warning sign that "biodegradable" doesn't automatically mean "harmless" for the food we eat.
Biodegradable microplastics trigger agroecosystem trade-offs: Microbial-driven disruption of photosynthesis, carbon fixation, and nitrogen cycling
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Researchers used multi-omics analysis to compare biodegradable microplastics (PBAT, PBS, PLA) against conventional polyethylene in sandy soil over 64 days, finding that biodegradable variants caused greater harm — including 28–74% reductions in tomato photosynthesis, elevated CO2 emissions, and disrupted nitrogen cycling — challenging the assumption that biodegradability equals environmental safety.
Microplastics reshape rhizosphere microbial communities and nutrient cycling in tomato agroecosystems
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Tiny plastic particles from pollution are seeping into farm soil and disrupting the natural microbes that help tomato plants absorb nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorus. This research found that different types of plastic (like those from packaging and pipes) throw off soil chemistry and bacterial activity in ways that could affect how healthy and nutrient-rich our food crops grow. While this study looked at soil, not food safety directly, it adds to growing evidence that microplastic pollution may be quietly affecting the food system from the ground up.
Soil microorganisms play an important role in the detrimental impact of biodegradable microplastics on plants
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Researchers found that biodegradable microplastics harmed vegetable crop growth by disrupting the soil microbial community rather than through direct contact with the plants. When soil microorganisms were suppressed, the negative effects of the biodegradable microplastics on plant growth were also reduced. The study suggests that soil bacteria and fungi play a key role in mediating the harmful impacts of biodegradable plastics on agricultural crops.
Microplastic-pathogen interactions differentially modulate tomato Fusarium wilt severity: The dependence of polymer biodegradability
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Researchers investigated how different types of microplastics affect Fusarium wilt severity in tomato plants and found that the impact depends on whether the plastic is biodegradable or conventional. Conventional polyethylene microplastics tended to worsen the disease by altering rhizosphere microbial communities, while biodegradable plastics showed different effects. The study reveals that the biodegradability of microplastics is an important factor in how they interact with soil-borne plant pathogens.
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