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Polyethylene Mulch Emissions Differentially Impact the Soil Metabolome and Microbial Community in Field Pea (Pisum sativum L.) Cultivation

Environmental Pollution 2026
Emoke Dalma Kovacs, Nguyễn Khởi Nghĩa, M. H. Kovacs

Summary

Polyethylene mulch film emissions in agricultural fields differentially shifted soil microbial communities, stimulating bacterial growth while suppressing fungal populations, and altered soil metabolic networks in field pea cultivation. These findings reveal that plastic mulch does not merely fragment into microplastics but also releases volatile emissions that restructure the soil microbiome, with cascading implications for soil health and carbon cycling.

Polymers

PE mulch emissions differentially shift soil microbial communities and metabolic networks, with bacterial proliferation contrasting with fungal suppression. These findings highlight the complex trade-offs between agronomic benefits and soil biological impacts, emphasizing the need for sustainable mulching alternatives.

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