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Degradation of Biodegradable Mulch-Derived Microplastics and Their Effects on Bacterial Communities and Radish Growth in Three Vegetable-Cultivated Purple Soils
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Biodegradable mulch films are increasingly used in agriculture as a "greener" alternative to conventional plastic, but their breakdown products — biodegradable microplastics — still have significant effects on soil and crops. A pot experiment across three soil types found that both conventional and biodegradable microplastics altered soil bacteria communities, with biodegradable plastics notably promoting the growth of specific plastic-degrading bacteria. Importantly, the effects on soil chemistry and radish growth varied substantially depending on soil type, suggesting that blanket recommendations about biodegradable mulch safety are premature without site-specific assessment.
Biodegradable mulch films (BDMs) are considered a promising solution for mitigating plastic residue pollution in agroecosystems. However, the degradation behavior and ecological impacts of their residues on soil–plant systems remain unclear. Here, a pot experiment was conducted using an acidic purple soil (AS), a neutral purple soil (NS), and a calcareous purple soil (CS) to investigate the degradation of 1% (w/w) microplastics derived from polyethylene mulch film (PE-MPs) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) mulch film (Bio-MPs), as well as their effects on soil properties, bacterial communities, and radish growth. PE-MPs degraded slightly, while the degradation of Bio-MPs followed the order of NS > CS > AS. PE-MPs and Bio-MPs enhanced the nitrification and radish growth in AS but had no significant effects on soil properties and radish growth in CS. Bio-MPs notably increased the relative abundance of PBAT/PLA degradation-related bacteria, such as Ramlibacter, Bradyrhizobium, and Microbacterium, across the three soils. In NS, Bio-MPs raised soil pH and enriched nitrogen-fixing and denitrifying bacteria, leading to a decrease in NO3−-N content and radish biomass. Overall, the effects of Bio-MPs on soil–plant systems varied with soil properties, which are closely related to their degradation rates. These findings highlight the need to assess the ecological risks of BDM residues before their large-scale use in agriculture.
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