Effect of microplastic pollution on selected physico-chemical and microbiological properties of soil and bacterial/fungal community composition
Öz
Objective: This study aimed to investigate the potential effects of microplastic pollution (MP), resulting from the degradation of polypropylene (PP) ground cover and low-density polyethylene (PE) seedling bags commonly used in agricultural production, on soil properties.
Materials and Methods: Two different types of MPs (PP and PE) were added to clay-loam soil at concentrations of 1%, 2%, and 3%. The experiment conducted using a randomized complete block design, lasted 3.5 months. Physical, chemical, and microbiological analyses were performed on soil samples taken at the end of the experiment.
Results: Bulk density and soil organic carbon were significantly influenced by both MP type and dose, whereas soil pH showed a significant MT × MD interaction. Water holding capacity, cation exchange capacity, soil respiration, dehydrogenase activity, and alkaline phosphatase activity were not significantly affected by the treatments.
Conclusion: The results demonstrated that MP application influenced several soil properties, although the magnitude and consistency of these effects varied depending on polymer type and application dose.
Anahtar Kelimeler
Microbial community composition, microplastics, polyethylene, polypropylene, soil properties
Destekleyen Kurum
TÜBİTAK (Project No. 125O109); Ege University Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit. Project Number: 30765
Teşekkür
The authors gratefully acknowledge the Ege University Scientific Research Projects Commission for providing financial support for Project No. 30765. We also sincerely thank TÜBİTAK (Project No. 125O109) for its financial support, which enabled the amplicon sequencing analyses conducted within the scope of this study.
Kaynakça
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