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Dual regulation of pakchoi–soil systems by zinc oxide nanoparticles under polyethylene microplastics stress: Dose-dependent effects, microbial cascades, and risk propagation
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Researchers studied how zinc oxide nanoparticles at different doses regulate the pakchoi-soil-microbe system under polyethylene microplastic stress, finding dose-dependent effects on plant antioxidant responses, nutrient uptake, and soil bacterial communities that reflect complex, interacting contamination risks.
Agricultural and industrial activities have progressively increased the accumulation of zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnO NPs) in soils contaminated with polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPs). However, under high PE-MPs residues, the mechanisms by which different ZnO NPs concentrations regulate the plant-soil-microbe system, and their interactive effects with PE-MPs, remain poorly understood. This study examined the dose-dependent regulation of the pakchoi-soil-microbe system by ZnO NPs under PE-MPs stress, focusing on plant responses, antioxidant enzyme activity, nutrient uptake, elemental distribution, and cascading impacts on soil bacterial communities. Relative to the control, sole exposure to PE-MPs increased pakchoi shoot fresh weight by 19.4 %, peroxidase activity by 17.37 %, and malondialdehyde content by 134 %. Additionally, it disrupted nutrient distribution and soil microbial diversity. Co-exposure to ZnO NPs and PE-MPs revealed a dual regulatory effect: low ZnO NPs levels (<400 mg kg) alleviated the adverse impacts of PE-MPs on the pakchoi-soil-microbe system, whereas higher concentrations intensified abiotic stress and dominated overall toxicity. Moreover, soil microbial taxa strongly correlated with plant-soil ecological variables, and structural equation modeling elucidated the pathways through which ZnO NPs influenced pakchoi growth and zinc accumulation. Overall, the findings highlight a threshold-dependent regulatory mechanism in which ZnO NPs shift from mitigating to aggravating PE-MPs-induced stress, providing a scientific basis for assessing ecological risks under combined nanoparticle and microplastic contamination in agroecosystems.
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