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Combined Effects of Polyethylene and Bordeaux Mixture on the Soil–Plant System: Phytotoxicity, Copper Accumulation and Changes in Microbial Abundance
Summary
Researchers studied the combined effects of polyethylene microplastics and Bordeaux mixture (a copper-based fungicide) on lettuce growth and soil microbes over 28 days. They found that copper treatments affected root and shoot growth, while microplastics alone showed limited effects and may have reduced copper bioavailability. The study suggests that the interaction between agricultural plastics and agrochemical residues creates complex, sometimes offsetting effects on soil-plant systems.
Greenhouses have positively impacted plant production by allowing the cultivation of different crops per year. However, the accumulation of agricultural plastics, potentially contaminated with agrochemicals, raises environmental concerns. This work evaluates the combined effect of Bordeaux mixture and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) microplastics (<5 mm) on the growth of lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) and soil microbial communities. Different levels of Bordeaux mixture (0, 100 and 500 mg kg−1), equivalent to Cu(II) concentrations (0, 17 and 83 mg kg−1), LDPE microplastics (0, 1% and 5%) and their combination were selected. After 28 days of growth, biometric and photosynthetic parameters, Cu uptake, and soil microbial responses were evaluated. Plant germination and growth were not significantly affected by the combination of Cu and plastics. However, individual Cu treatments influenced root and shoot length and biomass. Chlorophyll and carotenoid concentrations increased with Cu addition, although the differences were not statistically significant. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) analysis revealed a reduction in microbial biomass at the highest Cu dose, whereas LDPE alone showed limited effects and may reduce Cu bioavailability. These results suggest that even at the highest concentration added, Cu can act as a plant nutrient, while the combination of Cu–plastics showed varying effects on plant growth and soil microbial communities.