Degradation of Biodegradable Mulch-Derived Microplastics and Their Effects on Bacterial Communities and Radish Growth in Three Vegetable-Cultivated Purple Soils

Ruixue Ao, Zexian Liu, Yue Mu, Jiaxin Chen and Xiulan Zhao ()
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Ruixue Ao: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
Zexian Liu: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
Yue Mu: College of Environmental Science and Engineering, China West Normal University, Nanchong 637009, China
Jiaxin Chen: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China
Xiulan Zhao: Chongqing Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, College of Resources and Environment, Southwest University, Chongqing 400716, China

Agriculture, 2025, vol. 15, issue 14, 1-16

Abstract: Biodegradable mulch films (BDMs) are considered a promising solution for mitigating plastic residue pollution in agroecosystems. However, the degradation behavior and ecological impacts of their residues on soil–plant systems remain unclear. Here, a pot experiment was conducted using an acidic purple soil (AS), a neutral purple soil (NS), and a calcareous purple soil (CS) to investigate the degradation of 1% ( w / w ) microplastics derived from polyethylene mulch film (PE-MPs) and polybutylene adipate terephthalate/polylactic acid (PBAT/PLA) mulch film (Bio-MPs), as well as their effects on soil properties, bacterial communities, and radish growth. PE-MPs degraded slightly, while the degradation of Bio-MPs followed the order of NS > CS > AS. PE-MPs and Bio-MPs enhanced the nitrification and radish growth in AS but had no significant effects on soil properties and radish growth in CS. Bio-MPs notably increased the relative abundance of PBAT/PLA degradation-related bacteria, such as Ramlibacter , Bradyrhizobium , and Microbacterium , across the three soils. In NS, Bio-MPs raised soil pH and enriched nitrogen-fixing and denitrifying bacteria, leading to a decrease in NO 3 − -N content and radish biomass. Overall, the effects of Bio-MPs on soil–plant systems varied with soil properties, which are closely related to their degradation rates. These findings highlight the need to assess the ecological risks of BDM residues before their large-scale use in agriculture.

Keywords: biodegradable microplastics; polyethylene microplastics; soil properties; bacterial community; radish growth (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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