Vertical migration of microplastics along soil profile under different crop root systems

Li, Haixiao; Lu, Xueqiang; Wang, Shiyu; Zheng, Boyang; Xu, Yan

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116833

Cited by 128 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Most studies considering the role of terrestrial organisms in dispersing microplastics (86%) and their biological effects (50%) have been performed using single species (Figure 3a,b). These studies document the role of, for example, plants (corn; Zea mays , soybean; Glycine max and ryegrass; Lolium multiflorum , Li et al, 2021), earthworms ( Lumbricus terrestris ; M. Yu et al, 2019), snails ( Helix aspersa , H. aperta and H . pomatia ; Panebianco et al, 2019) and birds ( Gallus gallus domesticus ; Huerta Lwanga, Mendoza Vega, et al, 2017; Falco tinnunculus , Buteo buteo and Milvus migrans lineatus Zhao et al, 2016) as vectors for dispersal of microplastics.…”

Section: Overview On the Dispersal Of Microplastics By Terrestrial Organisms And Ecotoxicological Effectsmentioning

confidence: 98%

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

115

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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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Section: Overview On the Dispersal Of Microplastics By Terrestrial Organisms And Ecotoxicological Effectsmentioning

confidence: 98%

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

115

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“…Mine tailings are extreme oligotrophic terrestrial environments, with nitrogen (N) as a limiting factor for the growth of plants and microorganisms, constraining the efficiency of bioremediation of mine tailing sites. − Biological N fixation (BNF) in mine tailings has important environmental implications, which may indirectly contribute to bioremediation or phytoremediation. − Diazotrophs play an important role in providing bioavailable N, particularly in oligotrophic environments. Compared to the extensive studies of N fixation in marine and soil environments, the understanding of the N fixation in mine tailings is still limited.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Serratia spp. Are Responsible for Nitrogen Fixation Fueled by As(III) Oxidation, a Novel Biogeochemical Process Identified in Mine Tailings

Guo

Häggblom

et al. 2022

Environ. Sci. Technol.

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Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) has important environmental implications in tailings by providing bioavailable nitrogen to these habitats and sustaining ecosystem functions. Previously, chemolithotrophic diazotrophs that dominate in mine tailings were shown to use reduced sulfur (S) as the electron donor. Tailings often contain high concentrations of As(III) that might function as an alternative electron donor to fuel BNF. Here, we tested this hypothesis and report on BNF fueled by As(III) oxidation as a novel biogeochemical process in addition to BNF fueled by S. Arsenic (As)-dependent BNF was detected in cultures inoculated from As-rich tailing samples derived from the Xikuangshan mining area in China, as suggested by nitrogenase activity assays, quantitative polymerase chain reaction, and 15 N 2 enrichment incubations. As-dependent BNF was also active in eight other As-contaminated tailings and soils, suggesting that the potential for As-dependent BNF may be widespread in As-rich habitats. DNAstable isotope probing identified Serratia spp. as the bacteria responsible for Asdependent BNF. Metagenomic binning indicated that the essential genes for As-dependent BNF [i.e., nitrogen fixation, As(III) oxidation, and carbon fixation] were present in Serratia-associated metagenome-assembled genomes. Over 20 Serratia genomes obtained from NCBI also contained essential genes for both As(III) oxidation and BNF (i.e., aioA and nif H), suggesting that Asdependent BNF may be a widespread metabolic trait in Serratia spp.

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“…The small MP particles reached deeper zones (Rillig et al, 2017). Li H. et al (2021a) investigated the effects of plant root growth. They tested several shapes and sizes of MPs particles at different depths with various types of plants.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…They tested several shapes and sizes of MPs particles at different depths with various types of plants. The roots can prevent the movement of MPs particles to deeper zones, which results in the topsoil accumulation of MPs (Li H. et al, 2021a). The transport of MPs in a shallow alluvial aquifer was investigated by performing well-pumping tests.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

One-Dimensional Experimental Investigation of Polyethylene Microplastic Transport in a Homogeneous Saturated Medium

Okutan

Sağır

Fontaine

et al. 2022

Front. Environ. Sci.

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Plastics are widely used in every part of life. Microplastics (MPs) are classified as emerging contaminants in nature. Yet, microplastic transportation parameters in groundwater are not characterized well. In this study, microplastic transport in saturated homogeneous media was investigated. For this purpose, one-dimensional column tests were performed using the fluorescent and microplastic tracers to figure out the hydrodynamic conditions for the microplastic transport. Large silica, small silica, sand, and coarse gravel were the tested media. The hydrodynamic transport parameters were calculated by inverse solution methodology using the experimental and the analytical solution results. Only the coarse gravel medium with a minimum 1 mm and maximum 20 mm (5 mm of median) pore sizes and kinematic porosity 40.2% were found to be suitable for the transport of the used polyethylene (PE) whose particle size was between 200 and 500 µm. It is not possible to transport PE particles of selected size from fine-grained media. Transportation occurred in coarse-grained media such as coarse gravel. The calculated dispersivity values for the coarse gravel were 2.58 and 3.02 cm by using fluorescent and PE tracers, respectively. The experiments showed that the used PE particles cannot be transported if the mean flow velocity is lower than 2.02 cm/min in the coarse gravel medium. The microplastic accumulation might be an issue for an actual aquifer rather than the transportation of it considering the actual groundwater flow velocity is generally much lower.

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Vertical migration of microplastics along soil profile under different crop root systems

Cited by 128 publications

References 42 publications

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

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

Serratia spp. Are Responsible for Nitrogen Fixation Fueled by As(III) Oxidation, a Novel Biogeochemical Process Identified in Mine Tailings

One-Dimensional Experimental Investigation of Polyethylene Microplastic Transport in a Homogeneous Saturated Medium

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