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Effects of polyethylene microplastics on the growth of Arabidopsis thaliana & Phaseolus vulgaris and their soil
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Researchers exposed the plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Phaseolus vulgaris to polyethylene microplastics at different concentrations and found effects on plant growth and soil microbial communities. The study contributes to a limited but growing body of evidence on how microplastic pollution in agricultural soils may affect crop plants and soil health.
As the amount of manufactured goods in the world increases, their disposal methods also come into question with many plastic products ending up in both the ocean and on land. These plastics can break down, creating microplastics that can persist for long time periods. While extensive research has been done on the effects of microplastics on marine ecosystems, less is known about the effects of different concentrations of microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems. Our study used the plants Arabidopsis thaliana and Phaseolus vulgaris to explore the effects of microplastics on plant growth and soil quality. We hypothesized that an increase in the concentration of microplastics would result in shorter plant height and root length, as well as a reduced water holding capacity (WHC) of the soil. We found that the majority of the results were not statistically significant, except for the soil’s WHC for P. vulgaris, where the 0.5 μg/L treatment was lower than the control. These findings can serve as a guide for future studies that can further explore the effect of microplastics on terrestrial ecosystems.
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Toxic Impact of Soil Microplastics (PVC) on Two Weeds: Changes in Growth, Phenology and Photosynthesis Efficiency
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Researchers found that PVC microplastics in soil negatively affected growth, photosynthetic efficiency, and phenological timing in two weed species, with effects varying by concentration and plant species, suggesting that soil microplastic contamination can alter plant community dynamics in agricultural and natural ecosystems.
Effects of polyethylene microplastics and heavy metals on soil-plant microbial dynamics
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This study examined how polyethylene microplastics interact with heavy metals in soil and found that microplastics significantly reduced plant growth while altering soil enzyme activity and microbial communities. The combination of microplastics and heavy metals disrupted nutrient cycling in the soil in ways that were different from either pollutant alone. These findings suggest that microplastic contamination in agricultural soil could affect crop nutrition and food production.
Effects of plastic fragments on plant performance are mediated by soil properties and drought
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Researchers found that plastic fragments reduced soil water content and negatively affected Arabidopsis thaliana growth, with effects most pronounced under drought conditions and dependent on soil texture, suggesting plastic pollution and water stress interact to compound harm to plants.
Effects of Soil Microplastics on Plant Growth and Soil Health
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A greenhouse experiment found that polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics at increasing concentrations reduced lettuce biomass, altered soil microbial activity, and changed soil structure and water retention, with effects more pronounced at higher MP concentrations.
Plastics in Agricultural and Urban Soils: Interactions with Plants, Micro-Organisms, Inorganic and Organic Pollutants: An Overview of Polyethylene (PE) Litter
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This review examines how polyethylene plastic, one of the most common plastics, behaves in both farm and city soils and interacts with plants, soil microbes, and other pollutants. Microplastics in soil can change nutrient availability, alter microbial communities, and carry other contaminants like heavy metals. These changes could ultimately affect the safety and nutritional quality of crops grown in contaminated soil.
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