We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Responses of rice (Oryza sativa L.) plant growth, grain yield and quality, and soil properties to the microplastic occurrence in paddy soil
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that microplastics in paddy soil had complex effects on rice crops — some types actually increased grain yield by up to 30%, while also altering soil chemistry, nutrient availability, and amino acid composition in the grain. The findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soils may affect not just plant health but also the nutritional quality of food crops.
Agricultural soil has been recognized as a major sink of microplastic, an emerging pollutant to environmental biodiversity and ecosystem. However, the impacts of microplastic on soil–plant systems (e.g., crop growth, grain yield and amino acid content, nitrogen uptake capacity, and soil properties) remain largely unknown. Four typical microplastics, i.e., polythene (PE, 200 μm), polyacrylonitrile (PAN, 200 μm), and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) in diameter of 200 μm and 10 μm (PET200 and PET10), were tested to assess the consequent aforementioned responses under rice (Oryza sativa L.) paddy soil in a mesocosm experiment. Microplastics multiply influenced the soil pH, NH4+-N and NO3−-N contents, which effects were depended on the rice growth stage and plastic type. Overall, microplastics significantly decreased the soil urease activity by 5.0–12.2% (P < 0.05). When exposed to PAN and PET (in both diameter of 200 μm and 10 μm), there were significantly 22.2–30.8% more grain yield produced, compared to the control (P < 0.05), which was attributing to the higher nitrogen uptake capacity of rice grain. Meanwhile, microplastics exhibited nominal influences on rice plant height, tillering number, leaf SPAD, and NDVI. The amino acids were affected by microplastic, depending on the types of plastics and amino acids. This study provides evidence that microplastic can affect the development and final grain yield, amino acid content, nitrogen uptake capacity of rice, and some major soil properties, while these effects vary as a function of plastic type. Our findings highlight the positive impacts that could occur when the presence of microplastics in paddy soil.
More Papers Like This
Impact of microplastics on soil (physical and chemical) properties, soil biological properties/soil biota, and response of plants to it: a review
AI summary Read the abstract
This comprehensive review synthesizes evidence that microplastics alter soil physical structure, chemical properties including pH and nutrient cycling, and the communities of earthworms, collembolans, and microbes that maintain soil health, with cascading effects on plant growth and agricultural productivity. Because healthy soils underpin global food production, microplastic-driven degradation of soil ecosystems represents a long-term threat to food security and introduces a terrestrial route by which plastic contaminants accumulate in crops consumed by humans.
Microplastic Contamination in Rice Soils of Guyana: Abundance, Characteristics, and Environmental Implications
AI summary Read the abstract
Scientists found tiny plastic bits (microplastics) in soil from rice farms in Guyana, while nearby unfarmed land had little to none, suggesting that farming practices themselves may be introducing plastic pollution into the soil. Since rice is a staple food for millions of people, this raises questions about whether these plastics could end up in the crops we eat, though more research is needed to understand the actual health risks.
Effects of aged microplastics on paddy soil properties and greenhouse gas emissions under laboratory aerobic conditions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers incubated paddy soil with UV-aged polyethylene and polylactic acid microplastics and measured CO2 and N2O emissions over 35 days, finding that aging increased greenhouse gas output beyond that of virgin plastics by elevating dissolved organic carbon and altering its composition—suggesting that weathered microplastics in agricultural soils amplify climate-relevant emissions.
Microplastics in soil-plant system: effects of nano/microplastics on plant photosynthesis, rhizosphere microbes and soil properties in soil with different residues
AI summary Read the abstract
Polystyrene micro- and nanoplastics altered soil dissolved organic matter, disrupted rhizosphere microbial communities, and affected plant photosynthesis in Chinese cabbage, with effects varying by plastic particle size and soil amendment type. These findings reveal that microplastic contamination can cascade through soil microbiomes to impair crop growth, raising concerns for agricultural productivity and food system safety.
Microplastics in Soil Ecosystem: Insight on Its Fate and Impacts on Soil Quality
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers examined how plastic film used widely in Chinese agriculture breaks down and accumulates in soil, finding that microplastic debris may degrade soil quality and crop health over time, with potential ripple effects for food safety and agricultural sustainability.
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.