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Biochar pre-conditioning reduces nanoplastic toxicity to plant growth-promoting bacteria
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Researchers tested whether sugar maple biochar, a common soil amendment, could reduce the harmful effects of nanoplastics on beneficial soil bacteria. They found that when nanoplastics were pre-treated with biochar, the particles aggregated on the biochar surface, reducing their concentration in solution and their contact with bacterial cells. Growth experiments confirmed that biochar pre-conditioning improved both planktonic and biofilm growth of the plant growth-promoting bacterium Pseudomonas defensor.
Nanoplastics are emerging environmental pollutants that threaten soil microbial communities, especially plant growth-promoting bacteria. Here, we investigate whether sugar maple biochar-widely recognized for its soil amendment benefits-can reduce nanoplastic toxicity. Using confocal microscopy, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and fluorescence spectroscopy, we characterized the interactions between biochar and nanoplastics and observed extensive nanoplastic aggregation on biochar surfaces. Pre-conditioning nanoplastics with biochar (i.e., allowing nanoplastics to interact with biochar before bacterial exposure) lowered their effective concentration in solution and reduced surface coverage on bacterial cells. Growth assays confirmed that biochar pre-conditioning improved both planktonic and biofilm growth of Pseudomonas defensor, a plant growth-promoting bacteria, at nanoplastic concentrations up to 100 μg mL-1. Our results highlight biochar's potential to sequester nanoplastics and mitigate their toxicity, offering a sustainable strategy for protecting microbial communities in plastic-contaminated soils.
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Biochar mitigates microplastic- and nanoplastic-induced soil degradation and plant stress: a global meta-analysis.
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This analysis combined results from 59 studies on soil and plants exposed to microplastics or nanoplastics. Adding biochar to soil was linked to healthier plant growth, less plant damage, and lower microplastic buildup in plants, though the effects varied depending on conditions and were weaker in more realistic, complex settings than in controlled experiments.
Biochar alleviated the toxic effects of PVC microplastic in a soil-plant system by upregulating soil enzyme activities and microbial abundance
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Researchers tested whether adding biochar to soil could reduce the harmful effects of PVC microplastic contamination on plant growth and soil health. They found that biochar amendment increased plant biomass, restored soil enzyme activity, and boosted beneficial microbial populations that had been suppressed by the microplastics. The study suggests that biochar could serve as a practical tool for rehabilitating agricultural soils contaminated with plastic particles.
Biochar relieves the toxic effects of microplastics on the root-rhizosphere soil system by altering root expression profiles and microbial diversity and functions
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Researchers found that adding biochar (a charcoal-like soil amendment) to soil contaminated with polystyrene microplastics helped peanut plants recover by boosting their antioxidant defenses and restoring beneficial soil bacteria. This suggests biochar could be a practical tool for protecting crops in microplastic-contaminated farmland, which matters for food safety and reducing the amount of microplastics that enter the human food chain.
Biochar counteracts the negative effects of microplastics on physiological and biochemical characteristics and leaf metabolism in Zea mays L
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Researchers studied whether biochar could counteract the harmful effects of microplastics on maize plant growth and soil health. They found that adding biochar to microplastic-contaminated soil restored antioxidant enzyme balance, improved beneficial metabolic pathways in leaves, and increased bacterial community diversity. The study suggests biochar may help plants resist microplastic-induced stress by boosting glucose metabolism in root systems.
Biochar Mitigates the Negative Effects of Microplastics on Sugarcane Growth by Changing Soil Nutrients and Microbial Community Structure and Function
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Researchers investigated the effects of microplastics with and without biochar amendment on sugarcane growth, soil biochemical properties, and microbial community structure in red soil using a potted experiment, finding that microplastics alone reduced dry biomass, soil pH, and nitrogen and phosphorus contents and decreased bacterial diversity. Biochar addition mitigated the negative effects of microplastics by improving soil nutrients and reshaping microbial community structure and function.
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