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Effects of Polylactic Acid microplastics on Nitrogen Cycling by Photosynthetic Bacteria in Aquatic Systems
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Distinct Influence of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Microorganisms and Nitrogen Cycling: Emphasizing the Effect of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid
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A one-month soil experiment comparing polyethylene, PVC, and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics found that smaller particles and PLA had the greatest disruptive effects on bacterial diversity, nitrogen cycling, and enzyme activity, inhibiting nitrification while enhancing denitrification. The finding that biodegradable plastics can be equally or more disruptive to soil microbiomes than conventional plastics complicates assumptions that they represent a safe environmental alternative.
Effects and Mechanisms of Microplastics on Photosynthetic Bacterial Protein Production in Wastewater
From impact to restoration: Biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics in microalgal-bacterial granular sludge systems
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Even "biodegradable" plastics aren't automatically harmless: researchers found that at high concentrations, tiny bits of polylactic acid (PLA) plastic, a common eco-friendly plastic used in things like compostable cups and food packaging, can seriously disrupt the microbe communities that treat our wastewater and remove pollutants. The good news is these treatment systems bounced back within a month once the plastic exposure stopped, but the finding is a reminder that swapping regular plastics for "biodegradable" ones doesn't eliminate their environmental impact, which matters since wastewater treatment plays a role in ke
Microplastics disrupt the nitrogen-fixing bacterial community with consequences for plant growth
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Tiny plastic fibers in soil can mess with the helpful bacteria that plants rely on to pull nitrogen from the air, a process crucial for healthy growth, but the effects depend on the type of plastic, with some helping and others hurting root growth or the bacterial partnerships plants need. This matters because as plastic pollution builds up in farmland, it could quietly disrupt the natural systems that keep our food crops fed and healthy, even before we fully understand the ripple effects on the food we eat.
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