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Insights into the influence of polystyrene microplastics on the bio-degradation behavior of tetrabromobisphenol A in soil
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Researchers investigated how aged polystyrene microplastics affect the breakdown of the flame retardant TBBPA in soil. The study found that aged microplastics slowed TBBPA degradation by about 22%, reduced beneficial soil enzyme activity, and shifted microbial communities, suggesting that weathered microplastics may worsen soil contamination problems.
Soil contamination by emerging pollutants tetrabromobisphenol A (TBBPA) and microplastics has become a global environmental issue in recent years. However, little is known about the effect of microplastics on degradation of TBBPA in soil, especially aged microplastics. In this study, the effect of aged polystyrene (PS) microplastics on the degradation of TBBPA in soil and the mechanisms were investigated. The results suggested that the aged microplastics exhibited a stronger inhibitory effect on the degradation of TBBPA in soil than the pristine microplastics, and the degradation efficiency of TBBPA decreased by 21.57% at the aged microplastic content of 1%. This might be related to the higher TBBPA adsorption capacity of aged microplastics compared to pristine microplastics. Aged microplastics strongly altered TBBPA-contaminated soil properties, reduced oxidoreductase activity and affected microbial community composition. The decrease in soil oxidoreductase activity and relative abundance of functional microorganisms (e.g., Bacillus, Pseudarthrobacter and Sphingomonas) caused by aged microplastics interfered with metabolic pathways of TBBPA. This study indicated the importance the risk assessment and soil remediation for TBBPA-contaminated soil with aged microplastics.
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Adsorption behaviors and bioavailability of tetrabromobisphenol A in the presence of polystyrene microplastic in soil: Effect of microplastics aging
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Researchers studied how aging changes the ability of polystyrene microplastics to absorb and release a flame retardant chemical called TBBPA in soil. They found that aged microplastics had a greater capacity to adsorb the chemical but also released it more readily, increasing the bioavailability of this toxic compound to soil organisms. The study reveals that as microplastics weather in the environment, they may actually become more effective carriers of harmful chemicals into the food chain.
Aging enhancement and synergistic effect on toxicity to soil fauna by polystyrene microplastics-tetrabromobisphenol A toxicity exposure
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Researchers investigated the combined toxicity of aged polystyrene microplastics and the flame retardant tetrabromobisphenol A on earthworms, finding that aging enhanced the microplastics' ability to adsorb and deliver the toxic chemical. The co-exposure produced synergistic effects including increased oxidative stress, gut microbiome disruption, and tissue damage beyond what either contaminant caused alone. The study highlights that weathered microplastics in contaminated soils may amplify the toxicity of co-occurring industrial chemicals.
Bisphenol S degradation in soil and the dynamics of microbial community associated with degradation
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Bisphenol S degraded rapidly in soil (up to 98.9% removal within 32 days) but the presence of polystyrene microplastics altered the composition of BPS-degrading microbial communities. BPS exposure reduced overall soil microbial diversity while enriching Proteobacteria capable of aromatic compound degradation, suggesting MPs affect the microbial ecology of organic contaminant breakdown.
Effects of complex pollution by microplastics and heavy metals on soil physicochemical properties and microbial communities under alternate wetting and drying conditions
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Researchers examined how polystyrene microplastics interact with cadmium and copper in soil under alternating wet and dry conditions, comparing the effects of fresh versus aged microplastics. They found that aged microplastics had stronger effects on soil properties and microbial communities than fresh ones, and that the wetting-drying cycles amplified these changes. The study reveals that environmental aging of microplastics makes them more disruptive to soil ecosystems, especially when combined with heavy metal contamination.
When "biodegradable" is not benign: Microplastic-driven disruption of soil processes and plant-microbe interactions
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Researchers reviewed evidence that biodegradable microplastics persist long enough in soil to meaningfully alter aggregate structure, enzyme activity, and microbial community composition, proposing a mechanistic framework in which polymer chemistry, aging-driven surface changes, and rhizosphere dynamics jointly determine ecological outcomes — and concluding that biodegradability should not be equated with environmental safety.
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