Co-exposure of di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) decreased the submicron plastic stress in soil-plant system

This study investigated the interaction between submicron plastics (SMPs, 0.01% and 0.1% w/w) and di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) in soil-lettuce systems. Microbial community analysis showed that high-level SMP exposure significantly diminished bacterial a-diversity and amplicon sequence variant (ASV) richness, whereas DEHP supplementation enhanced those of Myxococcota in the soil, potentially counterbalancing SMP-induced microbial dysbiosis.