Effects of microplastics and earthworm burrows on soil macropore water flow within a laboratory soil column setup
Yu, Miao | Ploeg, Martine van der | Ma, Xiaoyi | Ritsema, Coen J | Geissen, Violette
Several earlier studies reported that microplastics (MP) accumulated on soil surfaces could be transported into the subsoil and ingested by soil biota, such as earthworms. The present study explores how networks of earthworm burrows and MP (low‐density polyethylene, LDPE) in subsoil affect the soil hydraulic properties and saturated water flow. A repacked and saturated sandy soil column experiment was conducted in an environment‐controlled laboratory with earthworms (anecic, Lumbricus terrestris) inoculated into the soil columns to form networks of macropore. The macropore network parameters (i.e., number, length, volume, diameter, soil saturated conductivity, and tracer breakthrough curves of soil columns) have been determined. The relative arrival times of the tracer mass (i.e. T5%, T25%, and T50%) were determined in order to describe the shapes of the breakthrough curves. The results show that in some breakthrough curves for the treatments with earthworms, there are two peaks. This is an indication that water was flowing faster in the macropores than in the soil matrix. There is a significant correlation between 5% arrival time and the median burrow volume, and the correlation coefficient was .571 (at the level of p < .05). The formation of macropores due to the burrowing activities of earthworms is considered the main cause of nonequilibrium water flow in the present study. The MP did not show any significant effect on the saturated water flow. This may be attribute to the low concentrations of MP used in the present study.
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