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Article ? AI-assigned paper type based on the abstract. Classification may not be perfect — flag errors using the feedback button. Tier 2 ? Original research — experimental, observational, or case-control study. Direct primary evidence. Detection Methods Environmental Sources Remediation Sign in to save

Microbial degradation of bioplastic (PHBV) is limited by nutrient availability at high microplastic loadings

Environmental Science Advances 2024 15 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count.
Michaela K. Reay, Martine Graf, Lucy M. Greenfield, Rafael Bargiela, Charles Onyije, Charlotte Lloyd, Ian D. Bull, Richard P. Evershed, Peter N. Golyshin, David R. Chadwick, Davey L. Jones

Summary

Researchers found that the degradation of the biodegradable plastic PHBV in soil becomes limited by nutrient availability when microplastic concentrations are high. Using pyrolysis GC-MS to quantify degradation, they observed that soil hydrophobicity increased while plant growth and soil microbial biomass decreased at higher microplastic loadings. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can negatively affect soil health when present in large quantities.

Degradation of PHBV in soil, quantified with pyrolysis GC-MS, was nutrient limited at increasing microplastic concentrations. Hydrophobicity increased while plant and soil microbial biomass decreased at higher soil microplastic concentrations.

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