We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Effects of microplastic contamination on soil nitrogen and its bioavailability in soybean-maize rotation system
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducting a field experiment found that microplastics in agricultural soil disrupt the nitrogen cycle in a soybean-maize rotation system, inhibiting the natural nitrogen fixation that legumes provide and increasing the conversion of ammonium to nitrate — a form more prone to leaching away — raising concerns for long-term soil fertility.
Microplastic contamination may affect nitrogen stock and bioavailability in the soil-plant system, to differing extents depending on plastic material properties. A field experiment was conducted to assess the effects of low-density polyethylene and poly (butylene adipate-co-terephthalate) debris (LDPE-D and PBAT-D, 500–2000 µm), and low-density polyethylene particles (LDPE-P, 500–1000 μm) on soil total nitrogen (TN), nitrate nitrogen (NO - 3 -N) and ammonium nitrogen (NH + 4 -N) dynamics, as well as nitrogen-associated enzyme activities, from the soybean planting, fallow, to maize harvesting stages of the crop rotation cycle. Results showed that PBAT-D, LDPE-D and LDPE-P significantly inhibited increases in TN during the soybean growth period, but promoted decreases during the fallow period ( p < 0.05). PBAT-D and LDPE-D also inhibited increases in NH + 4 -N significantly during the soybean growth period, but had no significant effect on NO - 3 -N. PBAT-D, LDPE-D and LDPE-P significantly promoted increases in NO - 3 -N during the fallow period, and stimulated the conversion of NH + 4 -N to NO - 3 -N during the maize growth period. In addition, microplastics significantly inhibited leucine-aminopeptidase and alanine aminotransferase enzyme activities in soybean and maize rhizosphere soils, but only stimulated N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase enzyme activities in soybean rhizosphere soil. These findings indicate that microplastic contamination may inhibit soil N increases associated with biological N fixation by legume crops. Furthermore, the enhancement of N converting from NH + 4 -N to NO - 3 -N may lead to increased risks of leaching loss under microplastic contamination. These experimental outcomes suggest that microplastic contamination may negatively impact N sustainability and bioavailability in agricultural soils under soybean-maize rotation. • Microplastics (MPs) affected soil N and soybean-maize rotation sustainability. • MPs inhibited N stock (soybean stage) but enhanced N transformation (fallow stage). • MPs facilitated the conversion of ammonium to nitrate (maize stage). • MPs disrupted nitrogen-enzyme activities in maize rhizosphere soil.
More Papers Like This
Sub-micron microplastics affect nitrogen cycling by altering microbial abundance and activities in a soil-legume system
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that very small (sub-micron) polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics in soil significantly altered nitrogen cycling by changing the abundance and activity of bacteria around soybean roots. While the microplastics did not affect plant growth directly, they increased nitrogen uptake and shifted the balance of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These hidden changes to soil chemistry could have long-term effects on agricultural productivity and the nutritional quality of crops.
Microplastic pollution on the soil and its consequences on the nitrogen cycle: a review
AI summary Read the abstract
This review examines microplastic pollution impacts on soil nitrogen cycling, finding that microplastics alter soil structure, serve as novel microbial colonization surfaces, and affect the microbial communities responsible for nitrogen fixation, nitrification, and denitrification.
Microplastics in Agroecosystems: Effects on Soil Microbiome, Nutrient Dynamics, and Fungal Interactions
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers reviewed how microplastics entering agricultural soils via mulch films, organic amendments, and irrigation disrupt soil microbiomes, impair nitrogen fixation and nitrification by 15–40%, reduce mycorrhizal associations, and may transfer up food chains, while highlighting major gaps in long-term field validation and mechanistic understanding.
Polyethylene microplastic and soil nitrogen dynamics: Unraveling the links between functional genes, microbial communities, and transformation processes
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers conducted a six-month experiment to understand how polyethylene microplastics in soil affect nitrogen cycling, a process critical for soil fertility and plant nutrition. They found that while total nitrogen levels stayed stable, microplastics significantly altered the forms of nitrogen present by increasing ammonium and nitrate while decreasing dissolved organic nitrogen. The study suggests that microplastics reshape soil microbial communities and their nitrogen-processing activities, potentially disrupting the natural nutrient balance in agricultural soils.
Polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride microplastics promote soil nitrification and alter the composition of key nitrogen functional bacterial groups
AI summary Read the abstract
Researchers found that polyethylene and PVC microplastics in soil increased nitrification (a key step in the nitrogen cycle) and changed the composition of nitrogen-processing bacteria. These changes could affect soil fertility and the availability of nutrients for crops. The study highlights how microplastic contamination in agricultural soil may have hidden effects on food production by altering fundamental soil processes.
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.