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Crumb rubber microplastics alter soil water dynamics and plant biomass allocation in soybeans
Summary
A greenhouse experiment found that crumb rubber microplastics in soil altered water dynamics and biomass allocation in soybean plants over a 21-day growth period. These results demonstrate that tire-derived microplastic contamination of agricultural soils can impair crop physiology, with implications for food security and the broader ecological impact of road-related plastic pollution.
A controlled greenhouse experiment evaluated the responses of soybean (Glycine max) plants grown in soil containing increasing proportions of crumb rubber (CR). Germination, plant growth, chlorophyll content, soil respiration, biomass production, water loss, root allocation, and elemental composition of soils and plant tissues were measured over a 21-day growth period.