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Conventional and Biodegradable Microplastics Both Impair Soil Phosphorus Cycling and Availability via Microbial Suppression
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Researchers conducted a 150-day experiment comparing the effects of conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics on soil phosphorus cycling. Both types of microplastics reduced available phosphorus by approximately 15% and suppressed key phosphorus-cycling bacteria and enzyme activity. The findings challenge the assumption that biodegradable plastics are environmentally benign, showing they disrupt soil nutrient cycles similarly to conventional plastics.
Microplastics (MPs) are emerging soil pollutants that can disrupt essential biogeochemical processes, yet their effects on phosphorus (P) cycling remain underexplored. Here, we conducted a 150-day incubation experiment using agricultural soil amended with either polyethylene (PE, conventional) or polylactic acid (PLA, biodegradable) MPs to investigate their impact on microbially mediated P cycling. MPs altered soil P cycling and decreased available phosphorus (AP) by ∼15% after 90 days. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy revealed weakened AP-associated functional groups (P-O-P, P-O, and P═O), most pronounced under PLA treatment. These shifts were accompanied by reduced abundances of key P-cycling taxa (Bacillus, Paenibacillus, and Sphingomonas) and downregulation of phosphatase gene abundance (phoA/D/X: -65.4% in PE, -59.8% in PLA). Correspondingly, the activities of acid, neutral, and alkaline phosphatases were all suppressed, with alkaline phosphatase in PE-treated soil reduced by 34.1%. Together, these results demonstrate that MPs disturb biotic transformation pathways, leading to subsequent alterations in the chemical speciation of soil P and decreased AP content. Notably, significant disruption was observed for both conventional and biodegradable types. Our findings challenge the prevailing assumption of environmental benignity for biodegradable plastics and underscore the urgent need for mechanistic assessments of their byproducts. Such disruption may hinder microbial P mobilization and decrease fertilizer use efficiency, ultimately threatening soil health and agricultural sustainability.
More Papers Like This
ConventionalandBiodegradable Microplastics BothImpair Soil Phosphorus Cycling and Availability via Microbial Suppression
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This 150-day soil incubation study compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect microbially-mediated phosphorus cycling. Both MP types suppressed phosphorus-cycling microbial activity, reducing soil phosphorus availability — with biodegradable PLA showing comparable disruption to conventional PE.
Polyethylene and Polylactic Acid Microplastics Reshape Soil Phosphorus Cycling by Modulating Microbial Function and Aggregate Stability in Maize‐Growing Soil
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Tiny plastic particles from farm plastics and packaging waste—both regular plastic (polyethylene) and "biodegradable" plastic (PLA)—are building up in soil and messing with how crops get phosphorus, an essential nutrient plants need to grow. In this study, both types of microplastics reduced available phosphorus in soil and stunted corn growth, even though the plastics also changed soil structure and shifted which microbes were present. This matters because it suggests that even "eco-friendly" plastics aren't necessarily harmless to farmland, and disruptions to soil health could eventually affect crop yields and food production
Discrepant soil microbial community and C cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
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Scientists compared how conventional polyethylene and biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect soil microbial communities and carbon cycling. Researchers found that the two types of microplastics had markedly different effects, with biodegradable plastics causing more changes to microbial community structure and carbon-related gene activity. The study suggests that biodegradable plastics, while designed to be more environmentally friendly, may still significantly alter soil biology.
Effects of microplastic properties and dissolved organic matter on phosphorus availability in soil and aqueous mediums
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Researchers studied how different types of microplastics from agricultural mulching films affect phosphorus availability in soil and water. They found that both conventional plastics like polyethylene and biodegradable plastics like polylactic acid significantly reduced available phosphorus in soil, with smaller and more concentrated particles causing the greatest reductions. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in agricultural soils may impair nutrient availability for crops.
Insights into soil microbial assemblages and nitrogen cycling function responses to conventional and biodegradable microplastics
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Researchers compared how biodegradable polylactic acid and conventional PVC microplastics affect soil bacteria and nitrogen cycling processes. They found that both types of microplastics altered microbial communities, but biodegradable plastics had distinct effects on nitrogen-processing bacteria and did not simply behave as a harmless alternative. The study suggests that switching to biodegradable plastics may change rather than eliminate the impact of microplastic contamination on soil health.
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