Response of soil dissolved organic matter to microplastic addition in Chinese loess soil.
TL;DR: In a soil-incubation experiment in a climate-controlled chamber with three levels of microplastic added to loess soil collected from the Loess Plateau in China,microplastic addition stimulated enzymatic activity, activated pools of organic C, N, and P, and was beneficial for the accumulation of dissolved organic C and N.
About: This article is published in Chemosphere.The article was published on 2017-10-01. It has received 443 citations till now. The article focuses on the topics: Dissolved organic carbon.
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TL;DR: If extended to other soils and plastic types, the processes unravelled here suggest that microplastics are relevant long-term anthropogenic stressors and drivers of global change in terrestrial ecosystems.
Abstract: Soils are essential components of terrestrial ecosystems that experience strong pollution pressure. Microplastic contamination of soils is being increasingly documented, with potential consequences for soil biodiversity and function. Notwithstanding, data on effects of such contaminants on fundamental properties potentially impacting soil biota are lacking. The present study explores the potential of microplastics to disturb vital relationships between soil and water, as well as its consequences for soil structure and microbial function. During a 5-weeks garden experiment we exposed a loamy sand soil to environmentally relevant nominal concentrations (up to 2%) of four common microplastic types (polyacrylic fibers, polyamide beads, polyester fibers, and polyethylene fragments). Then, we measured bulk density, water holding capacity, hydraulic conductivity, soil aggregation, and microbial activity. Microplastics affected the bulk density, water holding capacity, and the functional relationship between the microbial activity and water stable aggregates. The effects are underestimated if idiosyncrasies of particle type and concentrations are neglected, suggesting that purely qualitative environmental microplastic data might be of limited value for the assessment of effects in soil. If extended to other soils and plastic types, the processes unravelled here suggest that microplastics are relevant long-term anthropogenic stressors and drivers of global change in terrestrial ecosystems.
791 citations
TL;DR: The findings reported here imply that the pervasive microplastic contamination in soil may have consequences for plant performance and thus for agroecosystems and terrestrial biodiversity.
Abstract: Microplastics can affect biophysical properties of the soil. However, little is known about the cascade of events in fundamental levels of terrestrial ecosystems, i.e., starting with the changes in soil abiotic properties and propagating across the various components of soil-plant interactions, including soil microbial communities and plant traits. We investigated here the effects of six different microplastics (polyester fibers, polyamide beads, and four fragment types: polyethylene, polyester terephthalate, polypropylene, and polystyrene) on a broad suite of proxies for soil health and performance of spring onion ( Allium fistulosum). Significant changes were observed in plant biomass, tissue elemental composition, root traits, and soil microbial activities. These plant and soil responses to microplastic exposure were used to propose a causal model for the mechanism of the effects. Impacts were dependent on particle type, i.e., microplastics with a shape similar to other natural soil particles elicited smaller differences from control. Changes in soil structure and water dynamics may explain the observed results in which polyester fibers and polyamide beads triggered the most pronounced impacts on plant traits and function. The findings reported here imply that the pervasive microplastic contamination in soil may have consequences for plant performance and thus for agroecosystems and terrestrial biodiversity.
785 citations
TL;DR: The results showed that macro- and micro- plastic residues affected both above-ground and below-ground parts of the wheat plant during both vegetative and reproductive growth and the type of plastic mulch films used had a strong effect on wheat growth.
596 citations
Cites background from "Response of soil dissolved organic ..."
...The presence of microplastics in the soil could change soil properties and microplastics may be transported by soil organisms or act as vectors for other soil pollutants (Hodson et al., 2017; Liu et al., 2017; Maass et al., 2017; Rillig et al., 2017b; Zhu et al., 2018a)....
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TL;DR: Evidence is provided that microplastics manufactured of HDPE and PLA, and synthetic fibers can affect the development of L. perenne, health of A. rosea and basic, but crucial soil properties, with potential further impacts on soil ecosystem functioning.
Abstract: Environmental contamination by microplastics is now considered an emerging threat to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Soil ecosystems, particularly agricultural land, have been recognized as a major sink of microplastics, but the impacts of microplastics on soil ecosystems (e.g., above and below ground) remain largely unknown. In this study, different types of microplastics [biodegradable polylactic acid (PLA)], conventional high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and microplastic clothing fibers were added to soil containing the endogeic Aporrectodea rosea (rosy-tipped earthworm) and planted with Lolium perenne (perennial ryegrass) to assess the biophysical soil response in a mesocosm experiment. When exposed to fibers or PLA microplastics, fewer seeds germinated. There was also a reduction in shoot height with PLA. The biomass of A. rosea exposed to HDPE was significantly reduced compared to control samples. Furthermore, with HDPE present there was a decrease in soil pH. The size distribution of water-stable soil aggregates was altered when microplastics were present, suggesting potential alterations of soil stability. This study provides evidence that microplastics manufactured of HDPE and PLA, and synthetic fibers can affect the development of L. perenne, health of A. rosea and basic, but crucial soil properties, with potential further impacts on soil ecosystem functioning.
576 citations
TL;DR: In this article, a review focused on recent progress in analytical methods, pollution characteristics and ecological effects of microplastics in soils is presented, which shows that microplastic can influence soil biota at different trophic levels, and even threaten human health through food chains.
Abstract: Microplastics are emerging persistent contaminants of increasing concern. Although microplastics have been extensively detected in aquatic environments, their occurrence in soil ecosystems remains largely unexplored. This review focused on recent progress in analytical methods, pollution characteristics and ecological effects of microplastics in soils. In spite of the presence of microplastics in soils, no standardized methods are available for the quantification. Uniform protocols including microplastic extraction and identification are urgently needed to develop. In soil environments, main sources of microplastics include mulching film, sludge, wastewater irrigation and atmospheric deposition. The fate of microplastics is closely related to soil physio-chemistry and biota. Existing evidence shows that microplastics can influence soil biota at different trophic levels, and even threaten human health through food chains. Therefore, further research is needed to fully reveal the fate and ecological risks of microplastics in soils; and necessary action is required to control microplastic pollution in terrestrial ecosystems.
520 citations
References
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Book•
01 Jan 1982
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors present an analysis of organic matter in soil using NMR Spectroscopy and analytical pyrolysis, showing that organic matter is composed of nitrogen and ammonium.
Abstract: Partial table of contents: Organic Matter in Soils: Pools, Distribution, Transformations, and Function. Extraction, Fractionation, and General Chemical Composition of Soil Organic Matter. Organic Forms of Soil Nitrogen. Native Fixed Ammonium and Chemical Reactions of Organic Matter with Ammonia and Nitrite. Organic Phosphorus and Sulfur Compounds. Soil Carbohydrates. Soil Lipids. Biochemistry of the Formation of Humic Substances. Reactive Functional Groups. Structural Components of Humic and Fulvic Acids as Revealed by Degradation Methods. Characterization of Soil Organic Matter by NMR Spectroscopy and Analytical Pyrolysis. Structural Basis of Humic Substances. Spectroscopic Approaches. Colloidal Properties of Humic Substances. Electrochemical and Ion-Exchange Properties of Humic Substances. Organic Matter Reactions Involving Pesticides in Soil. Index.
5,658 citations
"Response of soil dissolved organic ..." refers background in this paper
...FA is the most mobile fraction and a major component of DOM in the environment (Stevenson, 1994; Maie et al., 2004)....
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..., 2001; Gunasekara and Xing, 2003), and other chemicals (Stevenson, 1994) as carrying agents and complexing media....
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...…and bioavailability of environmental contaminants, including heavy metals (Chirenje et al., 2002; Plaza et al., 2005), polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) (Perminova et al., 2001; Gunasekara and Xing, 2003), and other chemicals (Stevenson, 1994) as carrying agents and complexing media....
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TL;DR: Aromatic carbon and the presence of specific aromatic compounds resulted in EEMs that aided in differentiating wastewater effluent DOM from drinking water DOM, and the highest cumulative EEM volume was observed for hydrophobic neutral DOM fractions.
Abstract: Excitation−emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy has been widely used to characterize dissolved organic matter (DOM) in water and soil. However, interpreting the >10,000 wavelength-dependent fluorescence intensity data points represented in EEMs has posed a significant challenge. Fluorescence regional integration, a quantitative technique that integrates the volume beneath an EEM, was developed to analyze EEMs. EEMs were delineated into five excitation−emission regions based on fluorescence of model compounds, DOM fractions, and marine waters or freshwaters. Volumetric integration under the EEM within each region, normalized to the projected excitation−emission area within that region and dissolved organic carbon concentration, resulted in a normalized region-specific EEM volume (Φi,n). Solid-state carbon nuclear magnetic resonance (13C NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis, ultraviolet−visible absorption spectra, and EEMs were obtained for standard Suwannee River fulvic acid and 15 h...
4,407 citations
"Response of soil dissolved organic ..." refers methods in this paper
...We used three-dimensional excitation-emission matrix (EEM) fluorescence spectroscopy, a rapid, sensitive, selective, and reagent-free technique for fingerprinting organic matter in terrestrial ecosystems, to study the composition of soil DOM (Chen et al., 2003; Matilainen et al., 2011)....
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TL;DR: Global plastics production and the accumulation of plastic waste are documented, showing that trends in mega- and macro-plastic accumulation rates are no longer uniformly increasing and that the average size of plastic particles in the environment seems to be decreasing.
Abstract: One of the most ubiquitous and long-lasting recent changes to the surface of our planet is the accumulation and fragmentation of plastics. Within just a few decades since mass production of plastic...
4,044 citations
"Response of soil dissolved organic ..." refers background in this paper
...Agricultural sites and landfills in Europe contain 1000-4000microplastic particles per kg of sludge drymass (Zubris and Richards, 2005; Barnes et al., 2009)....
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...Plastic debris is accumulating in the environment because of its durability and the limitation of recycling technology (Barnes et al., 2009; Rillig, 2012)....
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TL;DR: Ingestion of microplastics has been demonstrated in a range of marine organisms, a process which may facilitate the transfer of chemical additives or hydrophobic waterborne pollutants to biota.
3,643 citations
"Response of soil dissolved organic ..." refers background in this paper
...Microplastic can enter the soil either as primary microplastic from industrial abrasives and cosmetic products by sludge application (Cole et al., 2011) or secondary microplastic from the environmental degradation of plastic mulch....
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Book•
01 Jan 1985
TL;DR: The first part of the book as mentioned in this paper is a general overview of the amount and general nature of dissolved organic carbon in natural waters, and the second part is a summary of the data that has accumulated from many disciplines over the last decade.
Abstract: This book is written as a reference on organic substances in natural waters and as a supplementary text for graduate students in water chemistry. The chapters address five topics: amount, origin, nature, geochemistry, and characterization of organic carbon. Of these topics, the main themes are the amount and nature of dissolved organic carbon in natural waters (mainly fresh water, although seawater is briefly discussed). It is hoped that the reader is familiar with organic chemistry, but it is not necessary. The first part of the book is a general overview of the amount and general nature of dissolved organic carbon. Over the past 10 years there has been an exponential increase in knowledge on organic substances in water, which is the result of money directed toward the research of organic compounds, of new methods of analysis (such as gas chromatography and mass spectrometry), and most importantly, the result of more people working in this field. Because of this exponential increase in knowledge, there is a need to pull together and summarize the data that has accumulated from many disciplines over the last decade.
2,803 citations
"Response of soil dissolved organic ..." refers background in this paper
...A large proportion of the DOM in soil is humic acid (HA) and fulvic acid (FA) (Thurman, 1985)....
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