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Addition of biodegradable microplastics alters the quantity and chemodiversity of dissolved organic matter in latosol
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Researchers found that adding biodegradable PBAT microplastics to tropical soil increased microbial and enzyme activity, which in turn altered the quantity and chemical diversity of dissolved organic matter, suggesting biodegradable plastics still significantly affect soil biogeochemistry.
Dissolved organic matter (DOM) chemodiversity plays an important role in regulating nutrient cycles and contaminant behavior in soil. However, how biodegradable microplastic (MPs) affect the DOM chemodiversity is still unknown, although developing biodegradable plastics are regarded as a promising strategy to minimize the risks of MPs residues in soil. Here, with the common poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) (PBAT) as the model, the molecular effect of biodegradable MPs on soil DOM was explored by adding 0%, 5% and 10% (w/w) of PBAT to tropical latosol, respectively. The results showed that PBAT addition increased microbial activity and exoenzyme activity (e.g., rhizopus oryzae lipase, invertase and cellulose). As a result, the quantity and chemodiversity of soil DOM were changed. The multispectroscopic characterization showed that PBAT addition significantly increased the DOC molecules in soil, including condensed aromatic-like substances and carbohydrates. In contrast, the TDN molecules with high bioavailability and low aromaticity, such as amino acids, were decreased. The multivariate statistical analysis indicated that there were three mechanisms that drove the shift in DOM chemodiversity. Firstly, the degradation of PBAT by rhizopus oryzae lipase facilitated the release of exogenous aromatic molecules. Secondly, PBAT decomposition stimulated the selective consumption of native N-rich molecules by soil microbes. Thirdly, PBAT accelerated the enzymatic transformation of native aliphatic CH and cellulose toward humic substances. In addition, concentration effect was also observed in the study that high-concentration PBAT were more likely to trigger the molecular shift in DOM chemodiversity. These findings provided a new insight into the impact of biodegradable MPs on soil DOM chemodiversity at molecular level, which will be beneficial to understanding the fate and biochemical reactivity of DOM in MPs-polluted soil.
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Molecular insights into effects of PBAT microplastics on latosol microbial diversity and DOM chemodiversity
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Researchers found that biodegradable PBAT microplastics significantly altered soil microbial community diversity and dissolved organic matter composition in tropical latosol over 120 days, with effects intensifying at higher microplastic concentrations.
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Researchers added virgin and aged polylactic acid and polyhydroxyalkanoate microplastics to agricultural soils and found that microbial physiological adaptation to biodegradable plastics significantly altered the transformation and reactivity of dissolved organic matter over a 56-day incubation period.
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Researchers investigated how biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics affect dissolved organic matter in three different types of paddy soil. They found that the microplastics altered the molecular composition of organic matter in soil-specific ways, with some soils showing increased humic substances and others showing more protein-like compounds. The study highlights that even biodegradable plastics can change soil chemistry, and the effects vary depending on soil type.
Effect of biodegradable PBAT microplastics on the C and N accumulation of functional organic pools in tropical latosol
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Researchers investigated how biodegradable PBAT microplastics affect carbon and nitrogen storage in tropical soil and found that they significantly increased carbon in all major soil organic pools. The largest increase occurred in particulate organic matter, where PBAT debris was incorporated into the soil carbon pool, boosting total carbon by 116-191%. The study suggests that while biodegradable microplastics add carbon to soil, this may create a misleading picture of soil health since the carbon comes from plastic contamination rather than natural organic sources.
Aging of biodegradable microplastics and their effect on soil properties: Control from soil water
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Researchers studied how biodegradable microplastics made from PLA and PBAT break down in different soil types under varying water conditions. They found that while these plastics aged more in dry and alternating wet-dry conditions, flooded conditions caused bigger changes to soil chemistry, including increased dissolved organic carbon. The study suggests that even biodegradable plastics can meaningfully alter soil properties, and the effects depend heavily on moisture conditions.
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