Microplastics in Soil Ecosystem: Insight on Its Fate and Impacts on Soil Quality

Yang, Xiaomei; Guo, Xuetao; Huang, Shan; Xue, Sha; Meng, Fangang; Qi, Yueling; Cheng, Wanli; Fan, Tingting; Lwanga, Esperanza Huerta; Geissen, Violette

doi:10.1007/698_2020_458

Cited by 12 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 69 publications

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“…Likewise, the positive effect of microplastic films on shoot and root mass can be linked to the reduction of soil bulk density ( Lozano and Rillig, 2020 ; Yang et al, 2020 ) and the improvement of associated soil properties ( Carter and Gregorich, 2006 ; Ruser et al, 2008 ). Shoot and to some extent root mass were affected by microfilm concentration in a pattern opposite to that of microfibers.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic Shape, Polymer Type, and Concentration Affect Soil Properties and Plant Biomass

et al. 2021

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Microplastics may enter the soil in a wide range of shapes and polymers. However, little is known about the effects that microplastics of different shapes, polymers, and concentration may have on soil properties and plant performance. To address this, we selected 12 microplastics representing different shapes (fibers, films, foams, and fragments) and polymers, and mixed them each with soil at a concentration of 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, and 0.4%. A phytometer (Daucus carota) grew in each pot during 4 weeks. Shoot, root mass, soil aggregation, and microbial activity were measured. All shapes increased plant biomass. Shoot mass increased by ∼27% with fibers, ∼60% with films, ∼45% with foams, and by ∼54% with fragments, as fibers hold water in the soil for longer, films decrease soil bulk density, and foams and fragments can increase soil aeration and macroporosity, which overall promote plant performance. By contrast, all shapes decreased soil aggregation by ∼25% as microplastics may introduce fracture points into aggregates and due to potential negative effects on soil biota. The latter may also explain the decrease in microbial activity with, for example, polyethylene films. Our findings show that shape, polymer type, and concentration are key properties when studying microplastic effects on terrestrial systems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastic Shape, Polymer Type, and Concentration Affect Soil Properties and Plant Biomass

et al. 2021

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“…Likewise, microplastic films increased both shoot and root masses, probably due to reduction of soil bulk density 32,37 , and the improvement of associated soil properties 33,34 . Shoot and to some extent root mass were affected by microfilm concentration in a pattern opposite to that of microfibers.…”

Section: Different Microplastic Shapes Increased Shoot and Root Biomassmentioning

confidence: 95%

Microplastic shape, concentration and polymer type affect soil properties and plant biomass

Lozano

Lehnert

Linck

et al. 2020

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Microplastics are an increasing concern in terrestrial systems. These particles can be incorporated into the soil in a wide range of shapes and polymers, reflecting the fact that manufacturers produce plastics in a variety of physical and chemical properties matching their intended use.Despite of this, little is known about the effects that the addition into the soil of microplastics of different shapes, polymer type and concentration levels may have on soil properties and plant performance.To fill this gap, we selected four microplastic shapes: fibers, films, foams and fragments; and for each shape we selected three microplastics made of one of the following polymers: polyester, polyamide, polypropylene, polyethylene, polyethylenterephthalat, polyurethane, polystyrene and polycarbonate. In a glasshouse experiment, each microplastic was added to a soil from a dry grassland at a concentration of 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.3% and 0,4%. A carrot (Daucus carota) plant grew in each pot during four weeks. At harvest, shoot and root mass, soil aggregation and microbial activity were measured.Our results showed that all microplastic shapes increased shoot and root masses. As concentration increased, microfibers increased plant biomass probably as fibers may hold water in the soil for longer. In contrast, microfilms decreased biomass with concentration, likely because they can create channels in the soil that promote water evaporation affecting plant performance. All microplastic shapes decreased soil aggregation, probably since microplastics may introduce fracture points in the aggregates affecting their stability and also due to potential negative effects on soil biota. The latter may also explain the decrease in microbial activity with, for example, polyethylene films. Similar to plant biomass, microfilms decreased soil aggregation with increasing concentration.Our study tested the microplastic shape mediation and dissimilarity hypotheses, highlighting the importance of microplastic shape, polymer type and concentration when studying the effects of microplastics on terrestrial systems.

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“…Microplastics permeate into the soil through various mechanisms and thus are ubiquitous in agricultural lands (Xu et al, 2020). Yang et al (2020) and Zhou et al (2020) reported that MPs accumulate in the top 20-to-30-cm soil layers with a 30-yr history of mulching (data not published), whereas Corradini et al (2019) reported higher accumulation of MPs in 0-10 cm of soil samples from agricultural field exposed to sewage sludge disposal. This is mainly attributed to the application of biosolids from recycled organic wastes (Corradini et al, 2019), irrigation with waste-treated water (Gündoğdu et al, 2018), and plastics mulching (Astner et al, 2019;Duis & Coors, 2016;Horton et al, 2017;Lv et al, 2019).…”

Section: Mps In the Agroecosystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most of these plastics are left on the farm intentionally or unintentionally, which contributes to the enrichment of farmland with plastic residues Steinmetz et al, 2016). A decade-old practice of mass tillage takes these MPs deep into the soil column, where they interact with keystone soil microbiota and plant roots (Boots et al, 2019;Guo et al, 2020;Mai et al, 2018), thus potentially cutting down global food productivity by affecting soil microbes and root function (Yang et al, 2020). Agricultural ecosystems in the vicinities of landfills or urban areas are the most plastic-polluted sites (Figure 2) F I G U R E 2 Plastic pollution in agricultural farmlands.…”

Section: Mps In the Agroecosystemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Microplastics interaction with terrestrial plants and their impacts on agriculture

et al. 2021

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Microplastics (MPs) are widespread in natural ecosystems and have attracted considerable attention from scientists all over the world because they are believed to threaten every life form. In addition to their potential physical and chemical effects on organisms, MPs may act as a carrier for many micropollutants, including antibiotics, heavy metals, and others. Over the last 10-15 yr, extensive research has been carried out on MPs in marine environments regarding their sources, fate, and toxicity.However, studies concerning their accumulation in the soil ecosystem, uptake, internalization, and impacts on photosynthetic components of the terrestrial ecosystem and risk assessments have been scanty. Thus, there is a large knowledge gap on the extent to which terrestrial environments, especially agroecosystems, are affected by MPs and their subsequent risks to human health. This review summarizes up-to-date findings about MPs on terrestrial environments and provides guidelines for future studies regarding the phytotoxic effects of MPs on plants; the mechanism of uptake and translocation in plant tissues; detection tools for MPs in plants; impacts on plant growth, plant development, and agricultural productivity; and, most important, the future prospects of MPs interaction and accumulation in plants.This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs License, which permits use and distribution in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited, the use is non-commercial and no modifications or adaptations are made.

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Microplastics in Soil Ecosystem: Insight on Its Fate and Impacts on Soil Quality

Cited by 12 publications

References 69 publications

Microplastic Shape, Polymer Type, and Concentration Affect Soil Properties and Plant Biomass

Microplastic Shape, Polymer Type, and Concentration Affect Soil Properties and Plant Biomass

Microplastic shape, concentration and polymer type affect soil properties and plant biomass

Microplastics interaction with terrestrial plants and their impacts on agriculture

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