Effects of polyethylene and poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) contamination on soil respiration and carbon sequestration

To address plastic pollution in agricultural soils due to polyethylene plastic film mulch used, biodegradable film is being studied as a promising alternative material for sustainable agriculture. However, the impact of biodegradable and polyethylene microplastics on soil carbon remains unclear. The field experiment was conducted with Poly (butyleneadipate-co-terephthalate) debris (PBAT-D, 0.5–2 cm), low-density polyethylene debris (LDPE-D, 0.5–2 cm) and microplastic (LDPE-Mi, 500–1000 μm) contaminated soil (0% (control), 0.05%, 0.1%, 0.2%, 0.5%, 1% and 2% w:w) planted with soybean, to explore potential impacts on soil respiration (Rs), soil organic carbon (SOC) and carbon fractions (microbial biomass carbon (MBC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), easily oxidizable carbon (EOC), particulate organic carbon (POC), mineral-associated organic carbon (MAOC)), and C-enzymes (β-glucosidase, β-xylosidase, cellobiohydrolase). Results showed that PBAT-D, LDPE-D and LDPE-Mi significantly inhibited Rs compared with the control during the flowering and harvesting stages (p < 0.05). SOC significantly increased in the PBAT-D treatments at both stages, and in the LDPE-Mi treatments at the harvesting stage, but decreased in the LDPE-D treatments at the flowering stage. In the PBAT-D treatments, POC increased but DOC and MAOC decreased at both stages. In the LDPE-D treatments, MBC, DOC and EOC significantly decreased but POC increased at both stages. In the LDPE-Mi treatments, MBC and DOC significantly decreased at the harvesting stage, while EOC and MAOC decreased but POC increased at the flowering stage. For C-enzymes, no significant inhibition was observed at the flowering stage, but they were significantly inhibited in all treatments at the harvesting stage. It is concluded that PBAT-D facilitates soil carbon sequestration, which may potentially alter the soil carbon pool and carbon emissions. The key significance of this study is to explore the overall effects of different forms of plastic pollution on soil carbon dynamics, and to inform future efforts to control plastic pollution in farmlands.