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Microplastics Modulate Carbon Sequestration in PaddyFields by Regulating Rhizosphere Silicon Mobility
Summary
Researchers investigated how biodegradable PLA and non-degradable PE microplastics alter rhizosphere silicon dynamics, carbon metabolism, and soil carbon storage in a rice paddy growth-cycle microcosm experiment. PLA transiently boosted grain carbon accumulation by 33% via altered silicon translocation, while PE reduced accumulation by 26-40%; both types ultimately disrupted long-term silicon bioavailability and carbon-silicon biogeochemical cycling in paddy fields.
Although microplastics (MPs)-induced alterations in microbial carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycling have been increasingly documented, their integrated effects on silicon (Si)-mediated C sequestration in paddy ecosystems remain poorly understood. Using a rice (Oryza sativa L.) growth-cycle microcosm experiment, this study investigated how biodegradable (poly(lactic acid), PLA) and nondegradable (polyethylene, PE) MPs alter rhizosphere Si dynamics, microbial C/N metabolism, and soil C storage. PLA treatment increased C accumulation in grains (+33%) and shoots (+10%) relative to the control, whereas PE reduced both by 26–40%, coinciding with divergent Si uptake patterns. Transient stimulation of Si translocation (up to 2-fold under PLA) was associated with short-term mitigation of microbial-driven C losses. However, both MP types progressively reduced rhizosphere Si bioavailability and disrupted aggregate stability, indicating long-term depletion of labile Si pools. Moreover, PLA enhanced N mineralization via enriching Chloroflexi and Actinobacteriota, elevated labile organic C, and downregulated key genes involved in C fixation (e.g., korA/B), thereby undermining persistent C storage. These findings reveal a MPs-induced dual role of short-term elevated C accumulation via rhizosphere Si uptake by plants versus long-term disruption of C–Si coupled biogeochemical cycle in paddy fields.
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