Mind the gap: forest soils as a hidden hub for global micro- and nanoplastic pollution

Weber, Collin J.; Rillig, Matthias C.; Bigalke, Moritz

doi:10.1186/s43591-023-00067-1

Cited by 5 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 81 publications

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“…Plastic pollution pervades various terrestrial ecosystems, such as agricultural lands, forests, urban greenspace, etc. Plastic significantly affects soil properties, plants, fauna, microbes, and enzyme activities .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Alleviates Charged Nanoplastic Stress in Host Plants via Enhanced Defense-Related Gene Expressions and Hyphal Capture

Li,

Chen,

Zhai

et al. 2024

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Contamination of small-sized plastics is recognized as a factor of global change. Nanoplastics (NPs) can readily enter organisms and pose significant ecological risks. Arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi are the most ubiquitous and impactful plant symbiotic fungi, regulating essential ecological functions. Here, we first found that an AM fungus, Rhizophagus irregularis, increased lettuce shoot biomass by 25–100% when exposed to positively and negatively charged NPs vs control, although it did not increase that grown without NPs. The stress alleviation was attributed to the upregulation of gene expressions involving phytohormone signaling, cell wall metabolism, and oxidant scavenging. Using a root organ-fungus axenic growth system treated with fluorescence-labeled NPs, we subsequently revealed that the hyphae captured NPs and further delivered them to roots. NPs were observed at the hyphal cell walls, membranes, and spore walls. NPs mediated by the hyphae were localized at the root epidermis, cortex, and stele. Hyphal exudates aggregated positively charged NPs, thereby reducing their uptake due to NP aggregate formation (up to 5000 nm). This work demonstrates the critical roles of AM fungus in regulating NP behaviors and provides a potential strategy for NP risk mitigation in terrestrial ecosystems. Consequent NP-induced ecological impacts due to the affected AM fungi require further attention.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Alleviates Charged Nanoplastic Stress in Host Plants via Enhanced Defense-Related Gene Expressions and Hyphal Capture

Li,

Chen,

Zhai

et al. 2024

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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“…New environmental contaminants, represented by microplastics, enter forest ecosystems through atmospheric sedimentation, overland runoff, and human activities and interfere with the physiological functions of soil organisms [50,51]. At present, the impact of microplastics on soil animals has mostly been evaluated in terms of ecotoxicology [52].…”

Section: Hdpe−mps Changes the Soil Animals' Influences In Determining...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Emerging Microplastics Alter the Influences of Soil Animals on the Fungal Community Structure in Determining the Litter Decomposition of a Deciduous Tree

Wang,

Ye,

et al. 2024

Forests

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Microplastics enter forest ecosystems in a variety of ways, including through atmospheric deposition, anthropogenic waste, and leaching. There is growing evidence of the ecotoxicity of microplastics to soil decomposers. Soil animals and microorganisms are the main decomposers of plant litter, and their interactions play important roles in determining the terrestrial biochemical cycle. However, how emerging microplastics in forests affect the influence of soil animals on the fungal community in decomposed litter is still unclear. Here, by constructing a rigorous mesocosm experiment, we investigated soil enzyme activities and the variation in fungal community characteristics in the leaf litter of a deciduous tree, Lindera glauca, which was decomposed by contrasting decomposer structures (with or without soil animals) under different contamination conditions (with or without microplastic contamination), aiming to determine the impacts of these factors on litter decomposition. We found that soil animals can significantly depress the litter decomposition rate by reducing fungal diversity and largely changing the community structure in the litter. However, these critical changes caused by soil animals were inhibited in the mesocosms contaminated with high-density polyethylene microplastics (HDPE−MPs), during which soil animal activities were significantly reduced. These findings represent a step forward in illustrating the potential effect of emerging contamination stress on forest litter decomposition and biogeochemical cycles under global environmental change.

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115 years of sediment deposition in a reservoir in Central Europe: Effects of the industrial history and environmental protection on heavy metals and microplastic

Stauch,

Schulte,

Schwanen

et al. 2024

Earth Surf Processes Landf

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Humans have considerably influenced accumulation rates and sediment composition in lake deposits. Due to near‐continuous accumulation, lakes and reservoirs are an excellent archive of these anthropogenic influences. The Urft Reservoir in the Eifel Mountains, western Germany, provides a unique record of the human influence on the landscape for the past 115 years. In 2020 and 2021, 24 cores and 23 surface samples were obtained from the bottom of the, by that time drained, reservoir. Grain size, heavy metals, weathering signatures and microplastic were analysed. For the chronology, caesium‐137 and microplastic were used. Using the first occurrence of microplastic as well as different plastic types for dating was not successful. However, a distinct layer with a high number of microplastic particles could be traced back to a fire in 1991 and was used as an additional stratigraphic marker in the age‐depth model. A period of relatively high accumulation rates in the reservoir occurred in the mid‐1950s and was related to enhanced construction works in the local valleys. Analysis of heavy metal content in the reservoir sediments shows a strong connection to historical changes in ore industry in the valley of the Urft. Stricter environmental protection laws and the decline of the metal processing industry resulted in a reduced input of lead, copper and zinc in the reservoir until the mid‐1980s. Since then, heavy metal content has remained relatively constant. A major flooding event in July 2021 did not lead to the remobilisation of older contaminated deposits as indicated by low heavy metal content in flood deposits. Accordingly, also the microplastic content is not increasing following the extreme event. Due to the degree of weathering of the flood deposits, it is argued that mainly hillslope material was transported into the Urft and subsequently into the Urft Reservoir during this event.

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Mind the gap: forest soils as a hidden hub for global micro- and nanoplastic pollution

Cited by 5 publications

References 81 publications

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Alleviates Charged Nanoplastic Stress in Host Plants via Enhanced Defense-Related Gene Expressions and Hyphal Capture

Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungus Alleviates Charged Nanoplastic Stress in Host Plants via Enhanced Defense-Related Gene Expressions and Hyphal Capture

Emerging Microplastics Alter the Influences of Soil Animals on the Fungal Community Structure in Determining the Litter Decomposition of a Deciduous Tree

115 years of sediment deposition in a reservoir in Central Europe: Effects of the industrial history and environmental protection on heavy metals and microplastic

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