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Tracking microplastics biodegradation through CO2 emission: Role of photoaging and mineral addition
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Researchers tracked biodegradation of fresh and photoaged microplastics in soil through CO2 emissions, finding that aged MPs mineralized at higher rates than pristine MPs due to greater surface oxidation and microbial colonization. Soil minerals further enhanced MP carbon mineralization, suggesting that mineral-rich soils can accelerate MP breakdown relative to sandy or low-mineral soils.
Once microplastics (MPs) enter the terrestrial ecosystem, they may affect the assessment of soil carbon storage and the fluxes of greenhouse gases. This study showed microbial incubation diminished the size and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) content of MPs and introduced more oxygen-containing functional groups to MPs potentially through microbial colonization. The aged MPs generally showed higher carbon mineralization ratio (0.010-0.876 %) than the pristine MPs (0.007-0.189 %), which was supported by their higher enzyme activities and DOC content. Interestingly, four model minerals increased the DOC release and CO emission from MPs by altering MPs physicochemical properties and shaping the habitat for microbial growth. The higher enzyme activities in mineral artificial soils, except for montmorillonite, served as a potential valid explanation for their higher mineralization. The high CO emission but low enzyme activity in montmorillonite artificial soil was due to most DOC being already mineralized. Aging and minerals altered the microflora and enhanced the expression of some C metabolism- and N-related functional genes, which supplemented the cause of higher CO and NO emissions from the corresponding artificial soils. Overall, the increased biomineralization of MPs carbon by minerals was divergent from the protective role of minerals on soil organic carbon.
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Photodegradation of microplastics mediated by different types of soil: The effect of soil components
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Five soil types were found to mediate photodegradation of microplastics under simulated sunlight exposure, with mineral components including iron and manganese oxides accelerating oxidation and surface area changes, demonstrating that soil chemistry plays an important role in determining how quickly microplastics degrade in terrestrial environments.
Effects of photoaging on structure and characteristics of biofilms on microplastic in soil: Biomass and microbial community
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Scientists studied how sunlight aging changes the way bacteria colonize microplastics in soil, finding that weathered plastics attracted different bacterial communities than fresh plastics. Aged microplastics initially supported less biofilm growth but developed bacteria with greater ability to break down carbon compounds. This research helps explain how microplastics behave differently in real-world soil conditions versus lab settings, which matters for understanding how plastics affect agricultural land and the food grown in it.
Microplastics Generate Less Mineral Protection of Soil Carbon and More CO2 Emissions
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Researchers investigated how dissolved organic matter released from microplastics affects soil carbon storage compared to natural organic matter. They found that microplastic-derived compounds are nearly eight times more easily consumed by soil microbes, leading to significantly higher carbon dioxide emissions and much less carbon being stored in soil minerals. The findings suggest that microplastic pollution in agricultural and natural soils may undermine the land's ability to store carbon and contribute to climate warming.
Aged polyethylene microplastics reduce CO2 emissions by altering carbon degradation genes rather than soil chemical properties at different aggregate scales
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Researchers found that aged polyethylene microplastics reduce soil CO2 emissions by altering carbon degradation gene expression across different soil aggregate size classes, rather than by changing soil chemical properties. Microplastics aged for two months showed greater suppression of carbon mineralization genes than freshly added microplastics, with effects varying across macroaggregates, microaggregates, and silt-clay fractions.
Microplastic-Derived Carbon Emissions: From Granular Carbon to Dissolved Organic Carbon and Carbon Dioxide under Ultraviolet Radiation
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Researchers examined carbon emissions from microplastics during aging processes, finding that MPs release not only dissolved organic carbon but also granular carbon particles as they degrade, expanding understanding of the contribution of plastic pollution to oceanic carbon cycling and carbon budgets.
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