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Effect of different polymers of microplastics on soil organic carbon and nitrogen – A mesocosm experiment

Environmental Research 2021 233 citations ? Citation count from OpenAlex, updated daily. May differ slightly from the publisher's own count. Score: 50 ? 0–100 AI score estimating relevance to the microplastics field. Papers below 30 are filtered from public browse.

Fanrong Meng, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Fanrong Meng, Fanrong Meng, Fanrong Meng, Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Fanrong Meng, Fanrong Meng, Fanrong Meng, Violette Geissen Fanrong Meng, Xiaomei Yang, Michel Riksen, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Michel Riksen, Michel Riksen, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Michel Riksen, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Michel Riksen, Michel Riksen, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Fanrong Meng, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Xiaomei Yang, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Michel Riksen, Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen Violette Geissen

Summary

Researchers found that adding polyethylene and biodegradable microplastics to agricultural soil altered carbon and nitrogen dynamics, with biodegradable microplastics having stronger effects on soil organic carbon decomposition and nutrient cycling than conventional plastics.

Polymers

LDPE PE

Agricultural microplastic pollution has become a growing concern. Unfortunately, the impacts of microplastics (MPs) on agricultural soil carbon and nitrogen dynamics have not been sufficiently reported. In an attempt to remedy this, we conducted a 105-day out-door mesocosm experiment in a soil-plant system using sandy soils amended with two types of MPs, low-density polyethylene (LDPE-MPs) and biodegradable (Bio-MPs), at concentrations of 0.0% (control), 0.5%, 1.0%, 1.5%, 2.0% and 2.5% (w/w, weight ratio of microplastics to air-dry soil). Soil organic matter (SOM), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), permanganate oxidizable carbon (POXC), available nitrogen (AN) of N-NH and N-NO, and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) were measured on day 46 (D46) and 105 (D105) of the experiment. SOM was also measured after microplastics were mixed into soils (D0). For LDPE-MPs treatments, SOM on D0, D46 and D105 showed no significant differences, while for Bio-MPs treatments, SOM significantly (p < 0.05) decreased from D0 to D46. Compared to the control, soil POXC was significantly (p = 0.001) lowered by 0.5%, 1.0% and 2.5% LDPE-MPs and ≥ 1.0% Bio-MPs on D105. LDPE-MPs showed no significant effects on soil DOC and nitrogen cycling. 2.0% and 2.5% Bio-MPs showed significantly higher (p < 0.001) DOC and DON (on D46 and D105) and ≥1.5% Bio-MPs showed significantly lower (p = 0.02) AN (on D46). Overall, Bio-MPs exerted stronger effects on the dynamics of soil carbon and nitrogen cycling. In conclusion, microplastics might pose serious threats to agroecosystems and further research is needed.

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