PJB-2024-585
Microplastics and organic amendments: combined effect on morphophysiological traits and antioxidant activity of spinach
Sabeen Alam
Abstract
ABSTRACT
Soil health is the ability of functioning as a vital living system within ecosystem to sustain plant and animal productivity, maintain and enhance water and air quality. The top soil is polluting day by day due to microplastic. The microplastics, a type of human-made pollutant, gradually accumulate in terrestrial ecosystems, posing a threat to soil quality and health. On the other hand, little is known about the possibility that microplastics could disrupt plant growth and counteract the beneficial effects of organic matter on soil aggregate stability.
We conducted a soil incubation experiment on spinach to examine the effects of microplastic fibers (polystyrene, polyethylene, polyester) with and without various organic components (leaf litter, compost, wheat straw) under RCBD design. The 10 treatments were carried out (PS +PET +PE +compost, PS +PET +PE + leaf litter, PS +PET +PE + wheat straw), each replicated thrice. This study analyzed the effects on soil physicochemical properties, physiological parameters and biological parameters of spinach including fresh and dry weight of full plant, roots and their lengths and activities of soil enzymes including Proline and Catalase respectively. Microplastic fibers had significant impact on soil aggregate stability, physiological, biological parameters and enzyme activities in soil without organic matter addition. The loss in dry and fresh weight of roots were observed in individual microplastic’s treatments. Combination of both organic matter and microplastics treatments showed minimum reduction as compared to microplastics treatments. Organic matter’s treatments showed increase in all parameters as compared to control. Organic matter exposure improved the performance of spinach.
This underscores how the effects of microplastics in soil and on soil health can vary depending on the context. The presence of high concentrations of PE, PS, and PET microplastics (MPs) typically harms soil quality, soil microbiota, and plant growth in the short term.
According to our experimental study, the presence of microplastics in agroecosystems alongside additions of organic matter may pose a threat to soil stability and plant growth. It's crucial to understand the risks that biodegradable plastics pose to agricultural ecosystems.
Key Words: Microplastics: PET, PS and PE, Organic Matter: Compost, Wheat Straw and Leaf litter and Spinach.
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