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Dynamic production of hydroxy radicals affects the available Cadmium in paddy soils under microplastic contamination
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Researchers showed that polyethylene microplastics amplify hydroxyl radical production in flooded paddy soils through photochemical activation of plastic-derived dissolved organic carbon and iron cycling, raising plant-available cadmium concentrations by up to 4.5-fold and highlighting a previously overlooked mechanism by which microplastics worsen heavy metal contamination in rice fields.
The coexistence of microplastics (MPs) and Cadmium (Cd) in soil poses a critical yet understudied environmental and agricultural risk, particularly in redox-dynamic paddy systems. This study quantifies the mechanistic interplay between polyethylene (PE) MPs and available Cd under two water management regimes. Results demonstrate that MPs significantly amplify hydroxyl radical (•OH) production in paddy systems, with particle size, concentration, and hydrological regimes driving spatiotemporal dynamics. MPs further altered redox thresholds unpredictably. Pearson's positive correlation results revealed that photochemical activation of MPs-derived dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and Fe(II) governed •OH generation in the overlying water. Small, high-concentration MPs amplified Fe(II) turnover in soils under fluctuating hydrology, driving sustained •OH production, elevating soil available Cd contents by 4.5-fold higher than controls after 30 days (p < 0.05). This study establishes a critical link between MPs contamination and •OH-mediated Cd cycling in paddy ecosystems, highlighting MPs-induced redox dynamics as a linchpin controlling heavy metal availability under variable soil oxygenation. The findings advance predictive frameworks for co-mobility of MPs and metal contaminants, while establishing innovative paradigms for addressing the non-negligible role of •OH in agroecosystems.
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Susceptibility of Cd availability in microplastics contaminated paddy soil: Influence of ferric minerals and sulfate reduction
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When microplastics and cadmium contaminate paddy soil together — a common situation in agricultural areas — microplastics increase the availability of cadmium to plants, raising the risk of cadmium uptake into food crops like rice. The mechanism involves microplastics releasing dissolved organic matter that disrupts iron mineral cycling and promotes sulfate-reducing bacteria, which in turn mobilize cadmium from soil particles. These findings highlight that microplastic pollution in farmland does not act alone — it can amplify the toxicity of co-occurring heavy metal contaminants.
Polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics reduce chemisorption of cadmium in paddy soil and increase its bioaccessibility and bioavailability
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Researchers found that polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics reduce cadmium chemisorption in paddy soil while increasing its bioaccessibility and bioavailability, suggesting that microplastic contamination in rice paddies could enhance heavy metal uptake by crops and human dietary exposure.
Typical microplastics in field and facility agriculture dynamically affect available cadmium in different soil types through physicochemical dynamics of carbon, iron and microbes
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Researchers found that polyurethane and polypropylene microplastics dynamically affect cadmium availability in different soil types through changes in soil carbon chemistry, iron mineral forms, and microbial community composition, with effects varying between field and greenhouse agricultural conditions.
Moisture-dependent effects of PBS microplastics on cadmium mobility across soil aggregate fractions
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Even "biodegradable" plastics may not be as harmless as they sound: new research finds that when these microplastics break down in flooded rice paddy soil, they actually make toxic cadmium more available for uptake by plants. Since rice is a major food crop grown in flooded fields and cadmium is a heavy metal that can accumulate in our bodies and harm kidneys and bones over time, this suggests biodegradable plastic pollution could indirectly increase cadmium exposure through our food supply.
Under flooding conditions, controlled-release fertiliser coated microplastics affect the growth and accumulation of cadmium in rice by increasing the fluidity of cadmium and interfering with metabolic pathways
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Researchers studied the combined effects of polyurethane controlled-release fertilizer-coated microplastics and cadmium on rice growth under flooding conditions, finding that microplastics increased cadmium mobility in soil and disrupted plant metabolic pathways. The results highlight that microplastic contamination in paddy systems can worsen heavy metal accumulation in rice under flooding.
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