We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Impacts of conventional and biodegradable microplastics in maize-soil ecosystems: Above and below ground
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared the effects of conventional plastics (polyethylene and polypropylene) and biodegradable plastics (PBAT and PCL) on corn plants and soil health. One biodegradable plastic, PCL, reduced plant production by about 74% and severely disrupted soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. This study cautions that simply replacing conventional plastics with biodegradable alternatives in farming is not guaranteed to be safer for soil ecosystems.
The increasing accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in agroecosystems has raised significant environmental and public health concerns, facilitating the application of biodegradable plastics. However, the comparative effects of conventional and biodegradable MPs in agroecosystem are still far from fully understood. Here we developed microcosm experiments to reveal the ecological effects of conventional (polyethylene [PE] and polypropylene [PP]) and biodegradable (polyadipate/butylene terephthalate [PBAT] and polycaprolactone [PCL]) MPs (0, 1%, 5%; w/w) in the maize-soil ecosystem. We found that PCL MPs reduced plant production by 73.6-75.2%, while PE, PP and PBAT MPs elicited almost negligible change. The addition of PCL MPs decreased specific enzyme activities critical for soil nutrients cycling by 71.5-95.3%. Biodegradable MPs tended to reduce bacterial α-diversity. The 1% treatments of PE and PBAT, and PCL enhanced bacterial networks complexity, whereas 5% of PE and PBAT, and PP had adverse effect. Moreover, biodegradable MPs appeared to reduce the α-diversity and networks complexity of fungal community. Overall, PCL reduced the ecosystem multifunctionality, mainly by inhibiting the microbial metabolic activity. This study offers evidence that biodegradable MPs can impair agroecosystem multifunctionality, and highlights the potential risks to replace the conventional plastics by biodegradable ones in agricultural practices.
More Papers Like This
Biodegradable and conventional microplastics affect soil-plant systems through altering microbial community assembly and functions
AI summary Read the abstract
"Biodegradable" plastics are often marketed as the eco-friendly choice, but this study found that when they break down into microplastics in soil, they actually harm plant growth and soil health more than regular plastics like polyethylene do, by disrupting the soil bacteria that plants depend on for nutrients. This matters because these microplastics could end up in the crops we eat, and it suggests that switching to "biodegradable" plastics isn't automatically a safer bet for our food supply without more research into how they actually break down in real farm soil.
Impacts of pristine, aged and leachate of conventional and biodegradable plastics on plant growth and soil organic carbon
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared the effects of conventional plastics (polyethylene, polypropylene) and biodegradable alternatives (polyhydroxybutyrate, polylactic acid) on ryegrass growth and soil health in both pristine and aged forms. They found that all plastic types, whether conventional or biodegradable, reduced plant biomass, lowered soil pH and organic matter, and increased CO2 respiration rates. The study provides evidence that biodegradable plastics are not necessarily safer for soil ecosystems than conventional plastics.
Responses of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) growth and soil properties to conventional non-biodegradable and new biodegradable microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists compared the effects of biodegradable and conventional polyethylene microplastics on lettuce growth and soil health. Both types of microplastics reduced plant growth, damaged photosynthesis, and altered soil nutrient levels, but biodegradable PBAT microplastics actually caused more disruption to soil microbial communities. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are necessarily safer for agricultural ecosystems.
Differential responses of soil microbial community structure and function to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists compared how tiny pieces of regular plastics and "biodegradable" plastics affect helpful bacteria in soil after 6 months. They found that biodegradable plastics actually disrupted soil bacteria more than regular plastics, changing the microbes that help plants grow and cycle nutrients. This matters because these soil bacteria are crucial for growing healthy food, so switching to biodegradable plastics might not be the simple environmental solution we hoped for.
Effect of conventional and biodegradable microplastics on the soil-soybean system: A perspective on rhizosphere microbial community and soil element cycling
AI summary Read the abstract
This study compared how conventional polyethylene microplastics and biodegradable alternatives (PBAT and PLA) affect soil bacteria and nutrient cycling in soybean fields. The biodegradable microplastics actually caused more harm to soybean growth than conventional ones, reducing shoot biomass by up to 34% and disrupting nitrogen availability in soil. This challenges the assumption that biodegradable plastics are always better for the environment and raises questions about their impact on agricultural productivity and food security.
Research digests by email
When a large batch of papers lands in the Atlas, we read through it and send a short write-up of what stood out.