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Freeze-thaw aged polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics alter enzyme activity and microbial community composition in soil
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This study found that when polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics go through freeze-thaw cycles (as they would in cold-climate soils), their surfaces change in ways that alter soil enzyme activity and shift microbial communities. These findings matter because changes in soil microbes can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on human food systems.
In cold regions, microplastics (MPs) in the soil undergo freeze-thaw (FT) aging process. Little is known about how FT aged MPs influence soil physico-chemical properties and microbial communities. Here, two environmentally relevant concentrations (50 and 500 mg/kg) of 50 and 500 µm polyethylene (PE) and polypropylene (PP) MPs treated soils were subjected to 45-day FT cycles (FTCs). Results showed that MPs experienced surface morphology, hydrophobicity and crystallinity alterations after FTCs. After 45-day FTCs, the soil urease (SUE) activity in control (MPs-free group that underwent FTCs) was 33.49 U/g. SUE activity in 50 µm PE group was reduced by 19.66 %, while increased by 21.16 % and 37.73 % in 500 µm PE and PP groups compared to control. The highest Shannon index was found in 50 µm PP-MPs group at 50 mg/kg, 2.26 % higher than control (7.09). Compared to control (average weighted degree=8.024), all aged MPs increased the complexity of network (0.19-1.43 %). Bacterial biomarkers of aged PP-MPs were associated with pollutant degradation. Aged PP-MPs affected genetic information, cellular processes, and disrupted the biosynthesis of metabolites. This study provides new insights into the potential hazards of MPs after FTCs on soil ecosystem in cold regions.
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Freeze-thaw differentially modulates the impact of agricultural film-derived microplastics on soil-crop system: Microbiome and metabolome responses
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This study investigated how freeze-thaw cycling alters the properties and phytotoxicity of agricultural film-derived microplastics in soil, using both microbiome and metabolome analyses in wheat and soil systems. Freeze-thaw aging changed MP surface chemistry and differentially altered microbial community composition and plant metabolic responses compared to un-aged MPs.
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Researchers tested how polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics at different concentrations affect enzyme activity and bacterial communities in acidic agricultural soil. Both types of microplastics reduced the diversity of soil bacteria while stimulating certain enzymes related to nitrogen and phosphorus cycling. The findings suggest that microplastic accumulation in farmland may alter important soil biological processes, potentially affecting nutrient cycling and the breakdown of pollutants.
Freeze-thaw aging increases the toxicity of microplastics to earthworms and enriches pollutant-degrading microbial genera
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This study found that microplastics aged by freeze-thaw cycles, which happen naturally in cold climates, became more toxic to earthworms than fresh microplastics. The aged particles caused more oxidative stress and disrupted the worms' gut bacteria and metabolism. Since earthworms are essential for soil health and agriculture, this increased toxicity could affect the quality of soil used to grow food.
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