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Distinct Influence of Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics on Soil Microorganisms and Nitrogen Cycling: Emphasized the Effect of Biodegradable Polylactic Acid
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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.
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A four-month soil incubation experiment compared conventional polyethylene (PE) and biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA) microplastics, finding both alter soil organic carbon, nitrogen availability, enzyme activity, and microbial community composition — with PLA causing distinct effects due to its degradability. The finding that biodegradable plastics still significantly disrupt soil microbiology challenges assumptions about their environmental safety and suggests replacing conventional plastics with PLA does not eliminate ecological harm.
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