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20 resultsShowing papers similar to Freeze-thaw alternations accelerate plasticizers release and pose a risk for exposed organisms
ClearLeaching of phthalate acid esters from plastic mulch films and their degradation in response to UV irradiation and contrasting soil conditions
Researchers studied how phthalate plasticizers leach from agricultural mulch films and break down under different soil conditions and UV exposure. They found that sunlight accelerates the release of these chemicals from plastic, while soil microbes play a major role in their subsequent degradation. The study highlights how plastic mulch in farming can be a continuous source of potentially harmful chemical additives entering the soil environment.
TheOverlooked Driver of Microplastic Chemical Oxidationin Cold Soils: Reactive Oxygen Species Generation Mediated by Freeze–ThawCycles
Researchers found that freeze-thaw cycles drive the oxidative aging of aromatic microplastics — including PET, PLA-PBAT, and polystyrene — in cold soils by generating reactive oxygen species such as singlet oxygen and hydrogen peroxide, a mechanism absent in non-aromatic polymers like polyethylene and polyamide.
Freeze-thaw aged polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics alter enzyme activity and microbial community composition in soil
This study found that when polyethylene and polypropylene microplastics go through freeze-thaw cycles (as they would in cold-climate soils), their surfaces change in ways that alter soil enzyme activity and shift microbial communities. These findings matter because changes in soil microbes can affect nutrient cycling and crop health, with potential downstream effects on human food systems.
Accumulation of soil microplastics and phthalate esters in nine typical Chinese croplands using plastic mulch film
Researchers conducted a harmonized analysis of microplastics and phthalate esters in agricultural soils from nine mulched crop regions across six Chinese provinces, finding microplastic abundances ranging from 2.4 million to higher concentrations in the 0–30 cm soil layer, with phthalate co-contamination.
Secondary degradation of anaerobic-digested and UV-pretreated plastics under cycles of freeze-thaw
Researchers examined how freeze-thaw cycling — a common environmental process in cold climates — affects PVC and PLA plastic films that had already been weakened by anaerobic digestion and UV exposure, finding that repeated freezing and thawing strips away oxidized surface layers and releases micro- and nanoplastics along with the plasticizer bisphenol A into the surrounding water.
Accumulation and Transport of Phthalic Acid Esters in the Soil-Plant System of Agricultural Fields with Different Years of Film Mulching
Agricultural plastic mulch films release phthalate plasticizers (PAEs) into surrounding soil over time, and these chemicals accumulate in crops like maize and cabbage. After more than 10 years of continuous mulching, DEHP levels in cabbage leaves exceeded China's national food safety limits, highlighting a direct pathway for plastic-associated chemical contaminants to enter the human food supply.
Weathering of agricultural polyethylene films in cold climate regions: which parameters influence fragmentation?
Researchers studied the natural weathering of agricultural polyethylene mulch films in cold climate regions to identify which parameters accelerate their fragmentation into microplastics. They found that a combination of environmental factors contributes to the breakdown process, which can also lead to leaching of chemical additives. The findings highlight the importance of understanding how agricultural plastics degrade in different climates to assess their contribution to soil microplastic pollution.
Mobility of polypropylene microplastics in stormwater biofilters under freeze-thaw cycles
Researchers discovered that freeze-thaw cycles move deposited microplastics deeper into stormwater biofilter soil than simple drying-and-wetting cycles, because expanding ice crystals break up the soil and release trapped particles. This finding suggests that in cold climates, microplastics filtered from stormwater could migrate further underground than previously estimated.
The Overlooked Driver of Microplastic Chemical Oxidation in Cold Soils: Reactive Oxygen Species Generation Mediated by Freeze–Thaw Cycles
Researchers found that freeze-thaw cycles selectively oxidize microplastics containing conjugated aromatic structures such as PET and polystyrene through reactive oxygen species generation during the initial freezing phase, while non-aromatic polymers like polyethylene and polyamide undergo no oxidative aging under the same conditions.
[Occurrence and Characteristics of Macro/Micro-plastics and Phthalates in Soils Under Different Plastic Film Mulching].
Researchers assessed residual characteristics of macroplastics, microplastics, and phthalate plasticizers in agricultural soils under different plastic film mulching treatments over a three-year field experiment, comparing traditional PE film with three types of biodegradable mulch and a no-mulch control. The study examined whether biodegradable film substitution effectively reduces soil plastic and PAE residual pollution.
Freeze-thaw aging increases the toxicity of microplastics to earthworms and enriches pollutant-degrading microbial genera
This study found that microplastics aged by freeze-thaw cycles, which happen naturally in cold climates, became more toxic to earthworms than fresh microplastics. The aged particles caused more oxidative stress and disrupted the worms' gut bacteria and metabolism. Since earthworms are essential for soil health and agriculture, this increased toxicity could affect the quality of soil used to grow food.
Molecular Trojan Effect of Microplastic Diethyl Phthalate Drives Multiscale Stress Vortex through Interfacial Engineering in Cold Agroecosystems during Freeze–Thaw Cycles
In a 120-day full-lifecycle soil cultivation experiment, researchers combined microplastic diethyl phthalate with freeze-thaw cycles to simulate cold agroecosystem conditions, and used molecular dynamics and multi-omics to characterize the resulting plant and soil stress. The plastic additive caused compounding oxidative and hormonal stress in plants that was amplified under freeze-thaw conditions, revealing a novel "Trojan effect" in cold-climate agricultural soils.
Pollution characteristics and affecting factors of phthalate esters in agricultural soils in mainland China
Scientists tested farmland soil samples from across China and found phthalate plasticizers (chemicals added to make plastics flexible) in 100% of samples, with the highest levels in greenhouse soils. The concentrations correlated with microplastic levels and plastic mulch film use, and some samples exceeded safety thresholds for agricultural soil. These chemicals can transfer from soil to crops and pose health risks including hormone disruption, making this a food safety concern for the large populations that depend on Chinese agriculture.
Microplastic formation and simultaneous release of phthalic acid esters from residual mulch film in soil through mechanical abrasion
Researchers found that mechanical abrasion of residual mulch film in soil simultaneously generates microplastics and releases phthalic acid esters like DEHP, with film thickness, polymer type, and aging all influencing the rate of microplastic formation and plasticizer release.
Impact of freeze-thaw cycles on the remobilization behaviors of microplastics in natural soils
Freeze-thaw cycling significantly promoted the remobilization of plastic particles (0.2 and 1 µm) retained in natural soils and quartz sand during subsequent water flushing, with natural soils retaining more particles initially but showing comparable release upon thaw due to pore structure disruption.
Mulch-derived microplastic aging promotes phthalate esters and alters organic carbon fraction content in grassland and farmland soils
Researchers found that microplastics derived from agricultural plastic mulch undergo aging in soil, which promotes the release of phthalate ester contaminants and alters organic carbon content. The study compared black and white polyethylene mulch to biodegradable mulch in grassland and farmland soils over eight weeks, revealing that aging characteristics and environmental impacts vary by mulch type and soil context.
Polymer-specific transformation of microplastics under soil freeze–thaw versus UV aging: Multiscale insights into atrazine interaction mechanisms
Long-term soil incubation experiments showed that different polymer types transform distinctively under real soil conditions, with some plastics fragmenting rapidly while others persist with minimal change. Polymer-specific fate data are essential for accurate risk assessment and regulatory decisions about plastic use in agriculture.
Occurrence and health risk assessment of phthalate ester pollution in mulched farmland soil at a national scale, China
Researchers analyzed farmland soils across 29 Chinese provinces and found widespread phthalate ester contamination linked to plastic mulching films, with di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate posing carcinogenic risks exceeding safety thresholds in over 11% of samples, pointing to inadequate current regulations on agricultural plastic use.
Freeze–Thaw Cycles Accelerate Plastic Pollution Invasion in Agriculture: Trojan Horse Effect of Microplastic–Plasticizer Contamination Revealed in Rye via Computational Chemistry and Multiomics
Researchers found that climate change-related freeze-thaw cycles significantly worsen the combined toxicity of the plasticizer DEP and microplastics in rye plants. Freeze-thaw conditions increased microplastic uptake into plants by altering particle surface charge, while DEP bound to key plant proteins and inhibited photosynthesis. The study reveals that microplastics simultaneously acted as carriers for the plasticizer while reshaping root microbiomes to favor pollutant-degrading bacteria.
Transport Mechanisms of Nanoplastics in Agricultural Soils Under Snowmelt Infiltration Conditions in Cold Regions
Researchers investigated how nanoplastics migrate with snowmelt water through three agricultural soil types (luvisol, chernozem, and albic soil) under freeze-thaw conditions, finding that chernozem showed peak nanoplastic concentrations of 25.62 mg/kg in the vertical profile and that biochar amendment modified nanoplastic transport behavior across all soil types.