TY - JOUR
T1 - Do added microplastics, native soil properties, and prevailing climatic conditions have consequences for carbon and nitrogen contents in soil?
T2 - a global data synthesis of pot and greenhouse studies
AU - Iqbal, Shahid
AU - Xu, Jianchu
AU - Arif, Muhammad Saleem
AU - Worthy, Fiona R.
AU - Jones, Davey L.
AU - Khan, Sehroon
AU - Alharbi, Sulaiman Ali
AU - Filimonenko, Ekaterina
AU - Nadir, Sadia
AU - Bu, Dengpan
AU - Shakoor, Awais
AU - Gui, Heng
AU - Schaefer, Douglas Allen
AU - Kuzyakov, Yakov
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2024/5/14
Y1 - 2024/5/14
N2 - Microplastics threaten soil ecosystems, strongly influencing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents. Interactions between microplastic properties and climatic and edaphic factors are poorly understood. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the interactive effects of microplastic properties (type, shape, size, and content), native soil properties (texture, pH, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) and climatic factors (precipitation and temperature) on C and N contents in soil. We found that low-density polyethylene reduced total nitrogen (TN) content, whereas biodegradable polylactic acid led to a decrease in soil organic carbon (SOC). Microplastic fragments especially depleted TN, reducing aggregate stability, increasing N-mineralization and leaching, and consequently increasing the soil C/N ratio. Microplastic size affected outcomes; those <200 μm reduced both TN and SOC contents. Mineralization-induced nutrient losses were greatest at microplastic contents between 1 and 2.5% of soil weight. Sandy soils suffered the highest microplastic contamination-induced nutrient depletion. Alkaline soils showed the greatest SOC depletion, suggesting high SOC degradability. In low-DOC soils, microplastic contamination caused 2-fold greater TN depletion than in soils with high DOC. Sites with high precipitation and temperature had greatest decrease in TN and SOC contents. In conclusion, there are complex interactions determining microplastic impacts on soil health. Microplastic contamination always risks soil C and N depletion, but the severity depends on microplastic characteristics, native soil properties, and climatic conditions, with potential exacerbation by greenhouse emission-induced climate change.
AB - Microplastics threaten soil ecosystems, strongly influencing carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) contents. Interactions between microplastic properties and climatic and edaphic factors are poorly understood. We conducted a meta-analysis to assess the interactive effects of microplastic properties (type, shape, size, and content), native soil properties (texture, pH, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC)) and climatic factors (precipitation and temperature) on C and N contents in soil. We found that low-density polyethylene reduced total nitrogen (TN) content, whereas biodegradable polylactic acid led to a decrease in soil organic carbon (SOC). Microplastic fragments especially depleted TN, reducing aggregate stability, increasing N-mineralization and leaching, and consequently increasing the soil C/N ratio. Microplastic size affected outcomes; those <200 μm reduced both TN and SOC contents. Mineralization-induced nutrient losses were greatest at microplastic contents between 1 and 2.5% of soil weight. Sandy soils suffered the highest microplastic contamination-induced nutrient depletion. Alkaline soils showed the greatest SOC depletion, suggesting high SOC degradability. In low-DOC soils, microplastic contamination caused 2-fold greater TN depletion than in soils with high DOC. Sites with high precipitation and temperature had greatest decrease in TN and SOC contents. In conclusion, there are complex interactions determining microplastic impacts on soil health. Microplastic contamination always risks soil C and N depletion, but the severity depends on microplastic characteristics, native soil properties, and climatic conditions, with potential exacerbation by greenhouse emission-induced climate change.
KW - ecosystem response
KW - emerging pollutant
KW - nutrient cycling
KW - soil health
KW - soil organic matter
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85192450198&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - https://ezproxy.uws.edu.au/login?url=https://doi.org/
U2 - 10.1021/acs.est.3c10247
DO - 10.1021/acs.est.3c10247
M3 - Article
C2 - 38701232
AN - SCOPUS:85192450198
SN - 0013-936X
VL - 58
SP - 8464
EP - 8479
JO - Environmental Science and Technology
JF - Environmental Science and Technology
IS - 19
ER -