We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics enhance nitrogen loss from a black paddy soil by shifting nitrate reduction from DNRA to denitrification and Anammox
AI summary Read the abstract
Using nitrogen-15 tracer and molecular techniques, researchers found that polystyrene, PVC, and polyethylene microplastics shifted nitrate reduction pathways in black paddy soil from dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) toward denitrification, enhancing nitrogen gas loss and reducing soil nitrogen retention.
Microplastics (MPs) are frequently detected emerging pollutants in soil that can endanger farmland ecosystems; however, little is known about their impacts on dissimilatory nitrate reduction processes in paddy soil. Here, using the N-tracer and microbial molecular techniques, we investigated the effects of MPs (200-400 μm) made of polystyrene (PS), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polyethylene (PE) on denitrification, anaerobic ammonium oxidation (Anammox), and dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium (DNRA) and the associated microbial community in a black paddy soil. All MPs increased the Anammox rate by 6.6 %-745 % and decreased the DNRA rate by 15.1 %-74.2 %, while MPs of PS and PE significantly increased the denitrification rate by 79.3 %-102.3 % and 34.8 %-62.1 %, respectively. The MPs promoted the partitioning of NO towards denitrification and Anammox while inhibiting DNRA, as suggested by the decreased relative contributions of DNRA from 24.1 % to 5.4 %-14.2 % following MPs amendment. This was attributed to the increased denitrification gene abundance and the enriched specific denitrifier taxa, as well as the decreased DNRA gene abundance. Our findings suggest that the stimulated denitrification and Anammox by MPs, accompanied by the suppression of DNRA, may lead to substantial nitrogen loss in paddy fields, underscoring the need to further evaluate the environmental behaviors of MPs in agricultural ecosystems.
More Papers Like This
Soil denitrification stimulated by macroplastics in maize cultivation
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated how macroplastics (plastic debris >2 cm) affect soil nitrogen cycling in maize cultivation through a controlled experiment. Macroplastics stimulated soil denitrification, potentially increasing nitrous oxide emissions and reducing nitrogen availability for crops.
Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in soil increased nitrification (a key step in the nitrogen cycle) and changed the composition of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These changes could affect soil fertility and the availability of nutrients for crops. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil may have hidden effects on food production by altering fundamental soil processes.
Insights into soil autotrophic ammonium oxidization under microplastics stress: Crossroads of nitrification, comammox, anammox and Feammox
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that microplastics in soil disrupted key nitrogen cycling processes carried out by bacteria, including nitrification and other pathways essential for soil fertility. Different types of microplastics had varying effects on the microbial communities responsible for converting nitrogen into forms plants can use. Since nitrogen availability directly affects crop growth, microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could subtly undermine food production.
Microplastic pollution on the soil and its consequences on the nitrogen cycle: a review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines microplastic pollution impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, finding that microplastics alter soil structure, serve as novel microbial colonization surfaces, and affect the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.
Polyethylene microplastic and soil nitrogen dynamics: Unraveling the links between functional genes, microbial communities, and transformation processes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a six-month experiment to understand how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect nitrogen cycling, a process critical for soil fertility and plant nutrition. They found that while total nitrogen levels stayed stable, microplastics significantly altered the forms of nitrogen present by increasing ammonium and nitrate while decreasing dissolved organic nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastics reshape soil microbial communities and their nitrogen-processing activities, potentially disrupting the natural nutrient balance in agricultural soils.
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.