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Biochar counteracts the negative effects of microplastics on physiological and biochemical characteristics and leaf metabolism in Zea mays L
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Researchers studied whether biochar could counteract the harmful effects of microplastics on maize plant growth and soil health. They found that adding biochar to microplastic-contaminated soil restored antioxidant enzyme balance, improved beneficial metabolic pathways in leaves, and increased bacterial community diversity. The study suggests biochar may help plants resist microplastic-induced stress by boosting glucose metabolism in root systems.
The influence of microplastics (MPs) on plant development has attracted increased attention; however, whether biochar (BC) impacts the toxicological impacts of MPs on plants remains unclear. Exogenously added MPs and mulched 10-year soils were selected to study the possible combined effects of BC and various MPs on maize development to fill this knowledge gap. Maize leaves subjected to various MP treatments showed significant levels of antioxidant enzyme activities, and adding BC counteracts this negative effect. Compared with PET and PLA treatments, CAT activity increased by 137.5 % and 47.6 % in PET+BC and PLA+BC treatments, respectively. The metabolomics analysis showed that adding BC upregulated lipid-related metabolites and amino acid metabolism and enhanced plant growth and response to adversity. The addition of BC to MP-contaminated soil restored bacterial community diversity, which was beneficial in improving the stability of MP-contaminated soil. In the PET and PLA treatment groups, the relative abundance of Proteobacteria increased by 12.9 % and 44.1 %, respectively, through the addition of biochar. Biological pathway studies suggested that BC may help plants resist energy deficits induced by MP-induced stress by increasing glucose metabolism in root systems. This research study establishes a conceptual framework allowing for a more thorough assessment of the impacts of MPs and BC on agricultural productivity. SYNOPSIS: This work initially revealed that biochar may offset the harmful impacts of microplastics on plants through multiple dimensions.
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Biochar Influences Polyethylene Microplastic-Contaminated Soil Properties and Enzyme Activities
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Biochar Mitigates the Negative Effects of Microplastics on Sugarcane Growth by Changing Soil Nutrients and Microbial Community Structure and Function
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Researchers investigated the effects of microplastics with and without biochar amendment on sugarcane growth, soil biochemical properties, and microbial community structure in red soil using a potted experiment, finding that microplastics alone reduced dry biomass, soil pH, and nitrogen and phosphorus contents and decreased bacterial diversity. Biochar addition mitigated the negative effects of microplastics by improving soil nutrients and reshaping microbial community structure and function.
Biochar mitigates microplastic- and nanoplastic-induced soil degradation and plant stress: a global meta-analysis.
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This analysis combined results from 59 studies on soil and plants exposed to microplastics or nanoplastics. Adding biochar to soil was linked to healthier plant growth, less plant damage, and lower microplastic buildup in plants, though the effects varied depending on conditions and were weaker in more realistic, complex settings than in controlled experiments.
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