LDPE microplastics affect soil microbial communities and nitrogen cycling

Rong, Lili; Zhao, Longfei; Zhao, Leicheng; Cheng, Zhipeng; Yao, Yiming; Yuan, Chaolei; Wang, Lei; Sun, Hongwen

doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.145640

Cited by 260 publications

(42 citation statements)

References 58 publications

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“…Moreover, they are reported to be the most common bacterial phylum attached to MPs (Mammo et al, 2020) and they are important for global C, N, and S cycles owing to its great metabolic diversity (Spain et al, 2009). Proteobacteria also plays a vital role in the degradation of carbonaceous compounds (Rong et al, 2021). Application of OSR biochar increased the abundance of Bacteroidetes compared with that of the control in 30% WHC treatment.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined effect of biochar and soil moisture on soil chemical properties and microbial community composition in microplastic‐contaminated agricultural soil

Dissanayake

Palansooriya

Sang

et al. 2022

Soil Use and Management

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Accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in agricultural environments has caused growing concern in recent years because of its detrimental impacts on soil quality, crop productivity and ecosystem function. This study was conducted to assess the impact of biochar on soil chemical and microbial properties in a MP‐contaminated soil under two moisture regimes. Soil was contaminated with 1% (w/w) of low‐density polyethylene MPs. Four types of standard biochar, that is, oil seed rape (OSR) biochar produced at 550°C (OSR 550) and 700°C (OSR 700) and soft wood pellet (SWP) biochar produced at 550°C (SWP 550) and 700°C (SWP 700), were applied at a rate of 5% (w/w). The control was maintained without MP addition. The samples were incubated in soil with two moisture regimes, that is, at 30% and 70% of the water holding capacity, and the soil chemical and microbiological properties were assessed after 100 days of incubation. OSR biochar application significantly increased soil pH (8.53–8.81) and electrical conductivity (0.51–0.58 dS/m) in both moisture regimes. The effect of biochar application on soil enzyme activity and microbial community composition did not show a clear trend. However, SWP 700 biochar improved soil enzyme activity compared with that of the control and improved bacterial diversity and evenness compared with those of other biochars, which was attributed to the high surface area available for microbial colonization. Low soil moisture content significantly reduced enzyme activity and bacterial richness even with biochar amendment, except for SWP 550 biochar. This study implies the suitability of biochar for improvement of soil quality in MP contaminated soil under both moisture regimes. However, further long‐term studies are needed to get a clear understanding on the impact of different types of biochar on MP‐contaminated soil.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Combined effect of biochar and soil moisture on soil chemical properties and microbial community composition in microplastic‐contaminated agricultural soil

Dissanayake

Palansooriya

Sang

et al. 2022

Soil Use and Management

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“…Changes in soil structures (bulk density, water stable aggregates, water‐holding capacity, pore volume) associated with the presence of microplastics can directly affect soil microbial communities, which are the main drivers of nitrogen cycling (Rong et al, 2021), carbon processing (Rillig et al, 2021) and other biogeochemical processes essential for human survival (Bender et al, 2016). Multiple studies have shown that microplastics can affect soil microbial activity and may have important implications for nutrient cycling (de Souza Machado et al, 2019; de Souza Machado, Lau, et al, 2018; Liu et al, 2017; Rong et al, 2021). Liu et al (2017) demonstrated that the increase in microbial activity (based on the enzymatic activities of fluorescein diacetate hydrolase) associated with the presence of microplastics was correlated with an increase in soil‐water dissolved nutrient concentrations.…”

Section: Microplastic Effects On Soil Structure and Functionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Changes in soil structures (bulk density, water stable aggregates, water-holding capacity, pore volume) associated with the presence of microplastics can directly affect soil microbial communities, which are the main drivers of nitrogen cycling (Rong et al, 2021), carbon processing (Rillig et al, 2021) and other biogeochemical processes essential for human survival (Bender et al, 2016 that the increase in microbial activity (based on the enzymatic activities of fluorescein diacetate hydrolase) associated with the presence of microplastics was correlated with an increase in soil-water dissolved nutrient concentrations. This suggests that microplastics can alter the performances of microbial communities and influence the accumulation of dissolved nutrients (Liu et al, 2017).…”

Section: Linking Changes In Soil Structure and Function To Presence Of Microplasticsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Studies reported oxidative stress (Jiang et al, 2019; Prendergast‐Miller et al, 2019; Zheng et al, 2019), reproductive impairment (Judy et al, 2019; Lahive et al, 2019; van Gestel & Selonen, 2018) and behavioral changes (Huerta Lwanga et al, 2016; Song et al, 2019) in terrestrial organisms (e.g., earthworms, snails and plants); similar responses were also observed in aquatic biota exposed to microplastics (de Sá et al, 2018; Lusher, 2015). Recent studies suggesting the effects of microplastics on soil carbon (Rillig et al, 2021) and possibly nitrogen (Rong et al, 2021) cycling are especially concerning.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The duration of the experiments at the laboratory (a) and the field scale (b) shown as violin plots, and the percentage of ecotoxicological studies reporting significant effects (c) [Colour figure can be viewed at wileyonlinelibrary.com]activity and may have important implications for nutrient cycling(de Souza Machado et al, 2019;de Souza Machado, Lau, et al, 2018;Liu et al, 2017;Rong et al, 2021).Liu et al (2017) demonstrated …”

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confidence: 99%

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Microplastics in terrestrial ecosystems: Moving beyond the state of the art to minimize the risk of ecological surprise

Baho

Bundschuh

Futter

2021

Global Change Biology

128

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Microplastic (plastic particles measuring <5mm) pollution is ubiquitous. Unlike in other well‐studied ecosystems, for example, marine and freshwater environments, microplastics in terrestrial systems are relatively understudied. Their potential impacts on terrestrial environments, in particular the risk of causing ecological surprise, must be better understood and quantified. Ecological surprise occurs when ecosystem behavior deviates radically from expectations and generally has negative consequences for ecosystem services. The properties and behavior of microplastics within terrestrial environments may increase their likelihood of causing ecological surprises as they (a) are highly persistent global pollutants that will last for centuries, (b) can interact with the abiotic environment in a complex manner, (c) can impact terrestrial organisms directly or indirectly and (d) interact with other contaminants and can facilitate their transport. Here, we compiled findings of previous research on microplastics in terrestrial environments. We systematically focused on studies addressing different facets of microplastics related to their distribution, dispersion, impact on soil characteristics and functions, levels of biological organization of tested terrestrial biota (single species vs. assemblages), scale of experimental study and corresponding ecotoxicological effects. Our systematic assessment of previous microplastic research revealed that most studies have been conducted on single species under laboratory conditions with short‐term exposures; few studies were conducted under more realistic long‐term field conditions and/or with multi‐species assemblages. Studies targeting multi‐species assemblages primarily considered soil bacterial communities and showed that microplastics can alter essential nutrient cycling functions. More ecologically meaningful studies of terrestrial microplastics encompassing multi‐species assemblages, critical ecological processes (e.g., biogeochemical cycles and pollination) and interactions with other anthropogenic stressors must be conducted. Addressing these knowledge gaps will provide a better understanding of microplastics as emerging global stressors and should lower the risk of ecological surprise in terrestrial ecosystems.

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