School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom; School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
School of Geography, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT, United Kingdom.
Sci Total Environ. 2024 Dec 1;954:176641. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.176641. Epub 2024 Sep 30.
Microplastics have emerged as a global environmental concern, yet their impact on terrestrial environments, particularly agricultural soils, remains underexplored. Agricultural soils, due to intensive farming, may serve as significant sinks for microplastics. This study investigated the effects of different types of microplastics-polyester microfibers, polyethylene terephthalate microfragments, and polystyrene microspheres-on soil properties and radish growth, while a complementary experiment examined the impact of polyester microfibers on the growth of lettuce and Chinese cabbage. Through both horizontal and vertical comparisons, this research comprehensively evaluated the interactions between microplastic particles and plant species in soil-plant systems. The results showed that polyester microfibers significantly affected soil bulk density, with effects varying based on planting conditions (p < 0.01). Polyethylene terephthalate microfragments and polystyrene microspheres reduced the proportion of small soil macroaggregates under radish cultivation (p < 0.01). Additionally, polystyrene microspheres significantly altered the total organic carbon stock in radish-growing soil, potentially affecting the microclimate (p < 0.01). Interestingly, polyester microfibers promoted lettuce seed germination and significantly enhanced the root biomass of Chinese cabbage (p < 0.05). Overall, the environmental effects of microplastic exposure varied depending on the type of particle and plant species, suggesting that microplastics are not always harmful to soil-plant systems and may even offer benefits in certain scenarios. Given the crucial role of soil-plant systems in terrestrial ecosystems, and their direct connection to food safety, human health, and global change, further research should explore both the positive and negative impacts of microplastics on agricultural practices.
微塑料已成为全球性的环境关注点，但它们对陆地环境，特别是农业土壤的影响仍未得到充分研究。由于集约化农业的发展，农业土壤可能成为微塑料的重要汇。本研究调查了不同类型的微塑料——聚酯微纤维、聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯微碎片和聚苯乙烯微球对土壤性质和萝卜生长的影响，同时补充实验研究了聚酯微纤维对生菜和白菜生长的影响。通过水平和垂直比较，本研究全面评估了微塑料颗粒与土壤-植物系统中植物物种之间的相互作用。结果表明，聚酯微纤维显著影响土壤容重，其影响因种植条件而异（p<0.01）。聚对苯二甲酸乙二醇酯微碎片和聚苯乙烯微球降低了萝卜种植条件下小土壤大团聚体的比例（p<0.01）。此外，聚苯乙烯微球显著改变了萝卜种植土壤中的总有机碳储量，可能影响微气候（p<0.01）。有趣的是，聚酯微纤维促进了生菜种子的萌发，并显著增加了白菜的根生物量（p<0.05）。总的来说，微塑料暴露的环境影响因颗粒类型和植物物种而异，这表明微塑料并不总是对土壤-植物系统有害，在某些情况下甚至可能有益。鉴于土壤-植物系统在陆地生态系统中的关键作用，以及它们与食品安全、人类健康和全球变化的直接联系，进一步的研究应该探索微塑料对农业实践的积极和消极影响。
