Effects of microplastics on soil properties: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Wang, Fayuan; Wang, Quanlong; Adams, Catharine A.; Sun, Yuhuan; Zhang, Shuwu

doi:10.1016/j.jhazmat.2021.127531

Cited by 343 publications

(61 citation statements)

References 159 publications

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“…33 However, non-significant differences in relative chlorophyll content of T. aestivum were noted upon exposure to LDPE and biodegradable MPx at 10 g kg −1 18 ; similar findings were reported with Z. mays and L. sativa . 32, 34, 35 Importantly, the mechanisms driving the impacts, both negative and positive, on photosynthetic rate, total chlorophyll content and chlorophyll a and b with NPx/MPx exposure remain largely unknown.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This trend will most likely continue to expand given the growing application and occurrence of plastic pollution at a global scale. 32 Geographically, China is the leading country investigating the phytotoxicity of MPx/NPx on plants. Additional countries such as the Netherlands, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom have published articles that highlight the significant interactions between plastic types and plant species.…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Trends In Research Findings Of Mpx/npx Interactions With Plantsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Micro and Nanoplastics Interactions with Plant Species: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives

Azeem

Adeel

Shakoor

et al. 2022

Preprint

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The ubiquitous presence of nano plastics (NPx) and micro plastics (MPx) in the environment has been demonstrated, and as such, the exposure scenarios, mechanisms of plant response, and ultimate risk must be determined. However, the current literature reports ambiguous outcomes and provides limited mechanistic insight into critical governing processes. Here, we performed a meta-analysis of the most recent literature investigating the effect of MPx/NPx on plant species under laboratory and field conditions so as to evaluate the current state of knowledge. Toxic effects of MPx/NPx exposure in plants varies as a function of plant species and interestingly, generally non-significant responses are reported in staple crops. NPx (<100 nm) more negatively affected plant development parameters (n=341) (n is total number of observations), photosynthetic pigments (n=80), and biochemical indicators (n=91) than did MPx (>100 nm). Surprisingly, NPx exposure yielded negligible effects on germination rate (n=17), although root morphology (n=45) was negatively affected. Alternatively, MPx negatively affected on germination (n= 27) and generally non-significant affect with regard to root morphology (n=64). The effect of MPx/NPx on plant health decreases with increasing exposure time. No specific trends were evident for the production of biochemical enzymes as related to MPx/NPx concentration or size. Future work should include crop full life cycle studies to highlight the accumulation of MPx/NPx in edible tissues and also to investigate potential trophic transfer of MPx/NPx. Furthermore, we provide a framework for additional investigative work to address these and other knowledge gaps and to enable accurate assessment of the fate and risk of these materials to environmental and human health.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Micro and Nanoplastics Interactions with Plant Species: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives

Azeem

Adeel

Shakoor

et al. 2022

Preprint

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“…plastic fragments or fibers smaller than 5 mm in diameter or length respectively, and the potential entailing effects on organisms are increasingly regarded as problematic due to the amounts of microplastic entering the environment (Büks et al 2020; Ji et al 2021; Wang et al 2020). Plastic enters the environment by littering, application of sewage sludge or compost, or plastic mulching as a widespread practice in agriculture (Wang et al 2021; Weithmann et al 2018; Wu et al 2019). Larger plastic items are weathered and eventually fragment into microplastic due to UV exposure, mechanical stress or processing by soil organisms (Ya et al 2021; Zhang et al 2021a).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comparison of fitness effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to single or multiple anthropogenic pollutants

Holzinger

Mair

Luecker

et al. 2022

Preprint

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Terrestrial ecosystems are exposed to many anthropogenic pollutants. Non-target effects of pesticides and fertilizers have put agricultural intensification in the focus as a driver for biodiversity loss. However, other pollutants, such as heavy metals, particulate matter, or microplastic also enter the environment, e.g. via traffic and industrial activities in urban areas. As soil acts as a potential sink for such pollutants, soil invertebrates like earthworms may be particularly affected by them. Under natural conditions soil invertebrates will likely be confronted with combinations of pollutants simultaneously, which may result in stronger negative effects if pollutants act synergistically. Within this work we study how multiple pollutants affect the soil-dwelling, substrate feeding earthworm Eisenia fetida. We compared the effects of the single stressors, polystyrene microplastic fragments, polystyrene fibers, brake dust and soot, with the combined effect of these pollutants when applied as a mixture. Endpoints measured were survival, growth, reproductive fitness, and changes in three oxidative stress markers. We found that among single pollutant treatments, brake dust imposed the strongest negative effects on earthworms in all measured endpoints including increased mortality rates. Sub-lethal effects were found for all pollutants. Exposing earthworms to all four pollutants simultaneously led to effects on mortality and oxidative stress markers that were smaller than expected by the respective null models. These antagonistic effects are likely a result of the adsorption of toxic substances found in brake dust to the other pollutants. With this study we show that effects of combinations of pollutants cannot necessarily be predicted from their individual effects and that combined effects will likely depend on identity and concentration of the pollutants.

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“…Some publications indicate that plastics, especially microplastics (MPs, particle size <5 mm) from plastics degradation, can cause adverse effects on biota in both the terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide ( Zhang et al, 2019b , 2021 ). Thus, plastic pollution, especially those related to the critical level of MP, is regarded as one of the most vital environmental issues raised in recent decades ( Zhang et al, 2019b , 2021 ; Wang et al, 2022 ). Since the terrestrial system is a significant source of MP for oceans, recently, several researchers have focused on the degradation, migration, and distribution of MP in soils ( Zhang et al, 2019a , 2020a ; Wang et al, 2021 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Crops Change the Morphology, Abundance, and Mass of Microplastics in Mollisols of Northeast China

et al. 2022

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Degradation of microplastics (MPs) by both physicochemical and biological processes in the natural environment is determined by the enzymes inside the soil, and which was severely influenced by crop growth and straw amendment (SA). However, it is still unclear how crop growth and SA influence degradation of MPs in soils. In this study, both catalase and sucrase were measured, and the stereomicroscope combined with microscopic infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscope (SEM) was used to detect the morphology and quantity of low-density polyethylene microplastic (LDPE-MP) and low-density polypropylene microplastic (LDPP-MP), after crop growth (maize and soybean, with and without SA, 1 and 2% MP) in an outdoor pot experiment, in the Mollisols. The results showed that the growth of the crops changed the morphology, functional groups (e.g., methylene, carbonyl), total mass, and abundance ratio of MPs of different sizes. These were possibly caused by enzymes that were significantly influenced by crop types, abundance, and types of MPs in the soils. Maize growth decreased the mass of LDPE-MP and LDPP-MP by 28.7 and 32.7%, respectively, and 2% (w/w) of LDPP-MP addition in soil decreased mass of 9%, which was higher than that in 1% (w/w) LDPP-MP addition in soil. Soybean growth with SA decreased the mass of LDPE-MP and LDPP-MP by 36.6 and 20.7%, respectively, than the control treatment (CK). Compared with CK, both crop growth and SA changed the abundance of MPs of different sizes and decreased the mean size of MPs. The LDPE-MP could be more easily degraded by enzymes in the soils compared to LDPP-MP when the MP size was smaller with surface roughness. Generally, both maize and soybean growth can accelerate MP change in soils, and MP change process was mainly determined by SA, MP types, and the dose effect of MP.

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Effects of microplastics on soil properties: Current knowledge and future perspectives

Cited by 343 publications

References 159 publications

Micro and Nanoplastics Interactions with Plant Species: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives

Micro and Nanoplastics Interactions with Plant Species: Trends, Meta-Analysis, and Perspectives

Comparison of fitness effects in the earthworm Eisenia fetida after exposure to single or multiple anthropogenic pollutants

Crops Change the Morphology, Abundance, and Mass of Microplastics in Mollisols of Northeast China

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