Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient

Kód výsledku v IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F00216224%3A14310%2F25%3A00142444" target="_blank" >RIV/00216224:14310/25:00142444 - isvavai.cz</a>

Výsledek na webu

<a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125015866?via%3Dihub" target="_blank" >https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749125015866?via%3Dihub</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127212" target="_blank" >10.1016/j.envpol.2025.127212</a>

Jazyk výsledku

angličtina

Název v původním jazyce

Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient

Popis výsledku v původním jazyce

Agricultural plastics like mulching films may become a major source of microplastic (MP) soil contamination during their degradation and fragmentation. This study investigates the effects of agricultural MPs from conventional (linear low-density polyethylene, PE) and biodegradable (starch-blended polybutylene adipate coterephthalate, PBAT-BD) mulching films on soil physicochemical properties, aggregation, microbial diversity and functions, litter decomposition, and greenhouse gases emissions (GHG). For this purpose, MPs were mixed into soils at realistic MP concentrations of 0.005 % and 0.05 % (w/w) in 2022 on experimental plots in three EU countries representing different pedoclimatic conditions (Finland, Germany and Spain), followed by monitoring of the above-mentioned variables in the subsequent growing seasons 2022 and 2023. We found several significant MP-induced effects for soil properties, aggregation, microbial diversity, litter decomposition, and GHG, but the effect endpoints were less pronounced or varied considerably. Contrarily, microbial activity, contributing to soil functions such as nitrogen cycling, was consistently reduced by both conventional and biodegradable MPs. The reductions were more pronounced after the second season and for the higher MP treatment. As the higher MP concentration (i.e., 0.05 % w/w) is environmentally relevant in Europe, our findings emphasize the potential effects of environmentally relevant MP concentrations on soil health. Furthermore, the effects increased from north to south, probably modulated by varying pedoclimatic conditions, inducing reflection of a need for regionally tailored risk assessment to protect soil from plastic pollution.

Název v anglickém jazyce

Conventional and biodegradable agricultural microplastics: effects on soil properties and microbial functions across a European pedoclimatic gradient

Popis výsledku anglicky

Agricultural plastics like mulching films may become a major source of microplastic (MP) soil contamination during their degradation and fragmentation. This study investigates the effects of agricultural MPs from conventional (linear low-density polyethylene, PE) and biodegradable (starch-blended polybutylene adipate coterephthalate, PBAT-BD) mulching films on soil physicochemical properties, aggregation, microbial diversity and functions, litter decomposition, and greenhouse gases emissions (GHG). For this purpose, MPs were mixed into soils at realistic MP concentrations of 0.005 % and 0.05 % (w/w) in 2022 on experimental plots in three EU countries representing different pedoclimatic conditions (Finland, Germany and Spain), followed by monitoring of the above-mentioned variables in the subsequent growing seasons 2022 and 2023. We found several significant MP-induced effects for soil properties, aggregation, microbial diversity, litter decomposition, and GHG, but the effect endpoints were less pronounced or varied considerably. Contrarily, microbial activity, contributing to soil functions such as nitrogen cycling, was consistently reduced by both conventional and biodegradable MPs. The reductions were more pronounced after the second season and for the higher MP treatment. As the higher MP concentration (i.e., 0.05 % w/w) is environmentally relevant in Europe, our findings emphasize the potential effects of environmentally relevant MP concentrations on soil health. Furthermore, the effects increased from north to south, probably modulated by varying pedoclimatic conditions, inducing reflection of a need for regionally tailored risk assessment to protect soil from plastic pollution.

Druh

J_imp - Článek v periodiku v databázi Web of Science

CEP obor

—

OECD FORD obor

10511 - Environmental sciences (social aspects to be 5.7)

Projekt

—

Návaznosti

I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace

Rok uplatnění

2025

Kód důvěrnosti údajů

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Název periodika

Environmental Pollution

ISSN

0269-7491

e-ISSN

—

Svazek periodika

386

Číslo periodika v rámci svazku

December 2025

Stát vydavatele periodika

GB - Spojené království Velké Británie a Severního Irska

Počet stran výsledku

12

Strana od-do

1-12

Kód UT WoS článku

001595467400006

EID výsledku v databázi Scopus

2-s2.0-105018170035