We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Microplastics stimulated nitrous oxide emissions primarily through denitrification: A meta-analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
Meta-analysis of 60 studies found that microplastic exposure increased soil nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions by 140.6%, primarily by stimulating denitrification rates (up 17.8%) and denitrifier gene abundance (up 10.6%), while nitrification remained unaffected. This resulted in a 38.8% increase in soil nitrite and a 22.4% decrease in nitrate.
Microplastics can profoundly alter nitrogen cycling. However, it remains poorly understood how microplastics impact soil nitrogen processes and generate NO. A meta-analysis was conducted for this investigation based on 60 published studies to elucidate the effects of microplastics on soil nitrogen cycling, from genes to processes. Under microplastic exposure, the emissions of soil NO was significantly increased (140.6%), while the nitrate reductase activities increased by 4.8%. The denitrification rate and number of denitrifier genes were increased by 17.8% and 10.6%, respectively. Meanwhile, the nitrification rate and nitrifier genes were not significantly altered, so did the nitrogen immobilization and mineralization rates. The additional emission of soil NO might primarily from stimulated denitrification. Soil NO emission and denitrification genes were always increased, regardless of the concentrations of microplastic or experiment duration. As a result, the nitrite was increased by 38.8% and nitrate was decreased by 22.4%, respectively. Interestingly, the NO emission increments and copy number of denitrifiers genes diminished over time. This study revealed divergent changes in soil nitrogen processes and highlighted NO emissions with a greater denitrification rate under microplastic exposure. The negative impacts of microplastics on soil health were revealed from the perspective of soil nitrogen availability and NO emissions.
More Papers Like This
Impacts of Climate Change and Agricultural Practices on Nitrogen Processes, Genes, and Soil Nitrous Oxide Emissions: A Quantitative Review of Meta-Analyses
AI summary Read the abstract
This mega-analysis of meta-analyses found that global warming increased soil nitrous oxide emissions by 160%, while nitrogen fertilization caused a 153% increase, both driven by enhanced nitrification and denitrification. Notably, microplastic exposure also affected nitrogen-cycling genes, and biochar application reduced emissions by about 16%, suggesting practical mitigation strategies for agricultural greenhouse gas output.
Effect of microplastics on soil greenhouse gas emissions: A global meta-analysis study
AI summary Read the abstract
This global meta-analysis found that microplastic exposure in soil decreased nitrous oxide emissions by 28.5% and increased methane emissions by 28.6%, though neither change was statistically significant overall. Effects varied dramatically depending on microplastic shape, concentration, soil type, and pH, with fiber-shaped microplastics reducing CO2 emissions by 40% while microplastics in sandy soils increased CO2 by 21%.
Microplastic composition-dependent effects on N2O emissions driven by changes in soil N process and microbial communities
AI summary Read the abstract
This study found that biodegradable and conventional microplastics both reduced nitrous oxide emissions from plant-soil systems by 17-32%, but through different mechanisms: polyethylene promoted complete denitrification, PLA suppressed a key denitrification gene, and PBAT inhibited both nitrification and denitrification. A companion meta-analysis of 14 plant-soil studies confirmed that microplastics reduce N2O emissions by an average of 22% in vegetated systems.
[Advances in the Effects of Microplastics on Soil N2O Emissions and Nitrogen Transformation].
AI summary Read the abstract
This review synthesizes current research on how microplastics affect soil nitrogen cycling, including N2O emissions, nitrogen transformation processes, functional enzyme activity, and nitrogen-related genes, highlighting inconsistent findings due to variability in microplastic properties, experimental conditions, and spatial-temporal scales.
Effect of microplastics on carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycle in farmland soil: A meta-analysis
AI summary Read the abstract
This meta-analysis of 102 studies found that microplastics in farmland soil increased soil organic carbon, microbial biomass carbon, and microbial biomass nitrogen, but also elevated CO2, methane, and nitrous oxide emissions through enhanced carbon mineralization and denitrification. Microplastic biodegradability, size, concentration, and soil properties all drove these effects, suggesting agricultural microplastic pollution may worsen greenhouse gas emissions from farmland.
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.