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Bioplastic (PHBV) addition to soil alters microbial community structure and negatively affects plant-microbial metabolic functioning in maize

Journal of Hazardous Materials 2022 136 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 60 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Robert W. Brown, Huadong Zang, Huadong Zang, Huadong Zang, Davey L. Jones, Lucy M. Greenfield, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Robert W. Brown, Robert W. Brown, Lucy M. Greenfield, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick Robert W. Brown, Robert W. Brown, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Xuejun Liu, Lucy M. Greenfield, Lucy M. Greenfield, Lucy M. Greenfield, David R. Chadwick Kai Wang, Davey L. Jones, Lucy M. Greenfield, Lucy M. Greenfield, Huadong Zang, Martine Graf, Martine Graf, Robert W. Brown, Robert W. Brown, Martine Graf, Davey L. Jones, Martine Graf, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Robert W. Brown, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Martine Graf, David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Huadong Zang, Davey L. Jones, Robert W. Brown, Xuejun Liu, David R. Chadwick Xuejun Liu, Davey L. Jones, Xuejun Liu, Xuejun Liu, David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Huadong Zang, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Kai Wang, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Kai Wang, Kai Wang, Robert W. Brown, Davey L. Jones, Robert W. Brown, Xuejun Liu, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Robert W. Brown, Huadong Zang, Kai Wang, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Lucy M. Greenfield, Huadong Zang, Huadong Zang, Huadong Zang, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Robert W. Brown, Xuejun Liu, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Xuejun Liu, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Xuejun Liu, David R. Chadwick Xuejun Liu, Huadong Zang, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Xuejun Liu, Kai Wang, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Xuejun Liu, Huadong Zang, David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Kai Wang, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Kai Wang, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick Davey L. Jones, David R. Chadwick Xuejun Liu, Kai Wang, David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick David R. Chadwick Xuejun Liu, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Davey L. Jones, Xuejun Liu, Xuejun Liu, David R. Chadwick

Summary

Researchers tested the effects of adding a biodegradable bioplastic to soil on maize growth and soil microbial communities. They found that the bioplastic altered soil microbial community structure and negatively affected the metabolic interactions between plants and soil microbes, even at relatively low concentrations. The study raises concerns that biodegradable plastic alternatives may not be as benign to soil ecosystems as commonly assumed.

Microplastic contamination poses a significant threat to agroecosystem functioning, provoking a move away from the use of conventional oil-based plastics in agriculture, to biodegradable alternatives that may be degraded over a shorter timescale. The impact of these bioplastics on plant and soil health, however, has received relatively little attention. Here, we investigated the effect of soil loading (0.01%, 0.1%, 1% and 10%) of biobased microplastic poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) on soil and plant (Zea mays L.) health and function. We showed that PHBV caused a dose-dependent reduction in plant growth and foliar nitrogen (N) content while untargeted metabolite analysis revealed significant shifts in foliar metabolic function. These results were also reflected in soil, where PHBV led to reduced plant availability of both ammonium and nitrate. Soil 14C-isotope tracing and 16S metabarcoding revealed that PHBV suppressed microbial activity, reduced bacterial diversity and shifted microbial community structure, inducing a major shift in soil metabolic pathways, and thus functioning. Overall, our data suggests that the bioplastic PHBV is not environmentally benign and that contamination levels as low as 0.01% (0.01 mg kg-1) can induce significant short-term changes in both plant and soil microbial functioning, with potential implications for long term agroecosystem health.

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