We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Environmental risk of microplastics after field aging: Reduced rice yield without mitigating yield-scale ammonia volatilization from paddy soils
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted field aging experiments with polystyrene and polyethylene microplastics and biochar in paddy soils, finding that field-aged microplastics reduced rice yield without mitigating ammonia volatilization, indicating that aged microplastics pose ongoing environmental risks to paddy ecosystem nitrogen cycling and crop production.
Microplastics (MPs, <5 mm) are enriched in paddy ecosystems as emerging environmental pollutants. Biochar (BC) is a controversial recalcitrant carbon product that poses potential environmental risks. The presence of these two exogenous organic substances has been demonstrated to have impacts on soil nitrogen cycling and crop production. However, the after-effects of MPs and BC on soil ammonia (NH) volatilization and rice yield after field aging remain unexplored. In this study, two common MPs, including polyethylene (PE) and polyacrylonitrile (PAN), and BC were selected for rice growing season observations to study the impacts on soil NH volatilization and rice yield after field aging. The results showed that the reduction of cumulative soil NH losses by MPs was around 45% after one-year field aging, which was within the range of 40-57% in the previous rice season. Abatement of NH volatilization by MPs mainly occurred in basal fertilization and was related to floodwater pH. Besides, the reduction rate of NH volatilization by BC and MPs + BC was enhanced after field aging (63% and 50-57%) compared to that in the previous rice season (5% and 11-19%), with the abatement process occurring in the first supplementary fertilization. There was a significant positive correlation between cumulative NH volatilization and soil urease activity. Notably, field aging removed the positive effect of MPs and MPs + BC in reducing yield-scale NH losses in the previous rice season (∼62%). Furthermore, despite BC affecting rice yield insignificantly after field aging, the presence of MPs led to a significant 17-19% reduction in rice yield. Our findings reveal that differences in the after-effects of BC and MPs in field aging emerge, where the negative impacts of MPs on soil NH abatement and crop yield are progressively becoming apparent and should be taken into serious consideration.
More Papers Like This
Presence of microplastics alone and co-existence with hydrochar unexpectedly mitigate ammonia volatilization from rice paddy soil and affect structure of soil microbiome
AI summary Read the abstract
Microplastics added to rice paddy soil unexpectedly reduced ammonia volatilization compared to unamended controls, with combined addition of microplastics and hydrochar further altering ammonia loss patterns, and microplastics changing soil bacterial community structure in ways that may affect nitrogen cycling in irrigated agricultural ecosystems.
Rice yield and carbon dioxide emissions in a paddy soil: A comparison of biochar and polystyrene microplastics
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers compared the effects of biochar and polystyrene microplastics on rice growth and carbon dioxide emissions in paddy soil. Both materials increased CO2 emissions, but biochar improved rice yield while microplastics did not provide the same benefits. The study suggests that microplastic accumulation in rice paddies could worsen greenhouse gas emissions without the soil-improvement benefits that biochar offers.
Every coin has two sides: Continuous and substantial reduction of ammonia volatilization under the coexistence of microplastics and biochar in an annual observation of rice-wheat rotation system
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers investigated the effects of polyethylene, polyester, and polyacrylonitrile microplastics combined with straw-derived biochar on ammonia volatilization in rice-wheat rotation soils over one year, finding that biochar alone reduced cumulative ammonia volatilization by 5.5% and microplastics combined with biochar reduced it by 11.2-26.6% in the rice season, with mechanisms involving increased nitrate concentration and soil cation exchange capacity.
Microplastic Has No Effect on Rice Yield and Gaseous N Emission from an Infertile Soil with High Inorganic N Inputs
AI summary Read the abstract
A soil column experiment found that polyethylene microplastics had no significant effect on rice yield or gaseous nitrogen emissions from an infertile soil receiving high inorganic nitrogen inputs, suggesting limited short-term agronomic impact.
Elevated CO2 aggravated polystyrene microplastics effects on the rice-soil system under field conditions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that elevated CO2 concentrations aggravate the negative effects of polystyrene microplastics on rice growth and soil bacterial communities under field conditions, suggesting that climate change may worsen microplastic impacts on agriculture.
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.