Atta-ur-Rahman School of Applied Biosciences, National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, 44000, Pakistan.
Plant Science Research Unit United States Department for Agriculture -Agricultural Research Service, Raleigh, NC, USA.
J Environ Manage. 2024 Apr;356:120673. doi: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2024.120673. Epub 2024 Mar 19.
Microplastics (MPs) accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems can affect greenhouse gases (GHGs) production by altering microbial and soil structure. Presently, research on the MPs effect on plants is not consistent, and underlying molecular mechanisms associated with GHGs are yet unknown. For the first time, we conducted a microcosm study to explore the impact of MPs addition (Raw vs. aged) and Trichoderma longibrachiatum and Bacillus subtilis inoculation (Sole vs. combination) on GHGs emission, soil community structure, physiochemical properties, and enzyme activities. Our results indicated that the addition of aged MPs considerably enhanced the GHGs emissions (NO (+16%) and CO (+21%), respectively), C and N cycling gene expression, microbial biomass carbon, and soil physiochemical properties than raw MPs. However, the soil microbial community structure and enzyme activities were enhanced in raw MPs added treatments, irrespective of the MPs type added to soil. However, microbial inoculation significantly reduced GHGs emission by altering the expression of C and N cycling genes in both types of MPs added treatments. The soil microbial community structure, enzymes activities, physiochemical properties and microbial biomass carbon were enhanced in the presence of microbial inoculation in both type of MPs. Among sole and combined inoculation of Trichoderma and Bacillus subtilis, the co-applied Trichoderma and Bacillus subtilis considerably reduced the GHGs emission (NO (-64%) and CO (-61%), respectively) by altering the expression of C and N cycling genes regardless of MPs type used. The combined inoculation also enhanced soil enzyme activities, microbial community structure, physiochemical properties and microbial biomass carbon in both types of MPs treatment. Our findings provide evidence that polyethylene MPs likely pose a high risk of GHGs emission while combined application of Trichoderma and Bacillus subtilis significantly reduced GHGs emission by altering C and N cycling gene expression, soil microbial community structure, and enzyme activities under MPs pollution in a terrestrial ecosystem.
微塑料(MPs)在陆地生态系统中的积累会通过改变微生物和土壤结构来影响温室气体(GHGs)的产生。目前,关于 MPs 对植物影响的研究结果并不一致,而与 GHGs 相关的潜在分子机制尚不清楚。我们首次进行了一项微宇宙研究,以探讨 MPs 添加(原始与老化)和木霉(Trichoderma longibrachiatum)和枯草芽孢杆菌(Bacillus subtilis)接种(单一接种与混合接种)对 GHGs 排放、土壤群落结构、理化性质和酶活性的影响。研究结果表明,添加老化 MPs 会显著增加 GHGs 的排放(NO(增加 16%)和 CO(增加 21%))、C 和 N 循环基因表达、微生物生物量碳和土壤理化性质,比添加原始 MPs 更为明显。然而,添加原始 MPs 会增强土壤微生物群落结构和酶活性,而与添加到土壤中的 MPs 类型无关。然而,微生物接种通过改变两种类型 MPs 添加处理中 C 和 N 循环基因的表达,显著降低了 GHGs 的排放。在两种类型的 MPs 添加处理中,微生物接种增加了土壤微生物群落结构、酶活性、理化性质和微生物生物量碳。在木霉和枯草芽孢杆菌的单一和混合接种中,混合接种木霉和枯草芽孢杆菌通过改变 C 和 N 循环基因的表达,显著降低了 GHGs 的排放(NO(减少 64%)和 CO(减少 61%)),而与使用的 MPs 类型无关。混合接种还增强了两种类型 MPs 处理中土壤酶活性、微生物群落结构、理化性质和微生物生物量碳。我们的研究结果表明,聚乙烯 MPs 可能会带来很高的 GHGs 排放风险,而通过改变 C 和 N 循环基因表达、土壤微生物群落结构和酶活性,在陆地生态系统中 MPs 污染下,木霉和枯草芽孢杆菌的联合应用可以显著降低 GHGs 排放。