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Microplastics lag the leaching of phenanthrene in soil and reduce its bioavailability to wheat
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Researchers found that polystyrene, polyethylene, and PVC microplastics delayed the downward leaching of phenanthrene through soil by adsorbing the contaminant, reducing its bioavailability to wheat, with adsorption capacity following the order PS > PE > PVC.
Microplastics wildly occur in soil and they can become the carriers of persistent contaminants. However, the influence of microplastics on polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons vertical translocation in the soil system after rainfall is limitedly understood. Here, experiments were conducted to study the influence of polyethylene (PE), polystyrene (PS) and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) microplastics on the leaching behavior and bioavailability of phenanthrene (Phe). The adsorption capacity of phenanthrene on the microplastics followed the order of PS > PE > PVC. The Phe concentrations in the top soil layer after 15 days of leaching with water were 30.25, 28.32 and 27.25 mg kg for the treatments of Phe-PS, Phe-PE and Phe-PVC respectively, which is consistent with the adsorption capacities of microplastics. The concentrations of Phe were correlated with the microplastic adsorption capacities at soil depths of 5-45 cm. Under long-term leaching, Phe could reach the deeper soil layer. Phe concentrations significantly decreased in the leachate over time. Phe concentrations in wheat had a positive correlation with that in leachate/leached top soil layer. Our findings are beneficial to accurately evaluate the ecological risk of the combined contamination of PAHs and microplastics, and improve the understanding of the environmental behaviors of different microplastics.
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Studies on the effect of microplastics on the adsorption and migration of Phenanthrene in river sediment
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Researchers investigated how polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics affect the adsorption and migration of phenanthrene in river sediments using batch and column experiments. Results showed that PE microplastics enhanced sediment adsorption capacity for phenanthrene relative to controls while PVC reduced it, attributable to structural differences between elastic PE and glassy PVC, with humic acid and pH further modulating adsorption behaviour.
Microplastics reduced bioavailability and altered toxicity of phenanthrene to maize (Zea mays L.) through modulating rhizosphere microbial community and maize growth
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Researchers studied how microplastics affect the behavior of phenanthrene, a common soil pollutant, in maize-growing soil. They found that microplastics reduced the amount of phenanthrene absorbed by the plants while also changing the microbial communities around the roots. The study suggests that microplastics in agricultural soil can alter how other pollutants interact with crops, sometimes reducing their uptake but also shifting soil ecology in complex ways.
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