Study of microplastics on soil microbial community

Through performing experiment to investigate that soil chemical properties, microbial community, interactions, and potential functions responding to MPs and MPAs, including polystyrene (P), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (B), polyvinyl chloride (V), as well as their additives (PA, BA, and VA) at 1% in soils with two pH levels (acidic soils in Xintong and slightly alkaline soils in Huanshan) for 90 days. We found that VA treament significantly increased soil electrical conductivity and elements compared to other treatments, exhibiting the most pronounced influence on bacterial community. Therefore, our findings strongly suggest that the addition of plastic additives can have a more pronounced effect on soil chemical properties, microbial community, interactions, and potential functions, than MPs alone in the acidic soil.