Data from: Biodegradable microplastics can cause more serious loss of soil organic carbon by priming effect than conventional microplastics in farmland shelterbelts

Globally, the widespread utilization of plastic products has resulted in
the accumulation of microplastics (MPs) in the soil. MPs have the
potential to impact the loss of soil organic carbon (SOC). Nevertheless,
the influence of different types of MPs on SOC loss remains
uncertain. In this study, a 38 d’ incubation experiment with two
kinds of conventional MPs (polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP)) as well
as two kinds of biodegradable MPs (polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), polylactic
acid (PLA)) were added into three types of soil (loam, sandy loam, and
sandy soil) in farmland shelterbelts, and the sources of CO2 emissions was
distinguished by the difference in 13C isotope abundance between the
biodegradable MPs (PHA and PLA) (-10.02 ~ -9.92 ‰) and the soil (-24.39 ~
-22.86 ‰) (>10‰). In conjunction with the structural
characterization of MPs, as well as soil physicochemical properties and
microbial characteristics, we observed that the conventional MPs did not
degrade in short term incubation, but significantly enhance soil-derived
CO2 emissions by altering the dissolved N content (NH4+-N and DTN) and
reducing microbial biomass carbon (MBC) content only in sandy loam soil
(P<0.05). Biodegradable MPs degraded significantly, and enhanced
soil-derived CO2 emissions by reducing soil dissolved total N (DTN) and
NO3--N contents in loam, sandy loam and sandy soil
(P<0.05). Overall, the input of biodegradable MPs causes a
more serious loss of SOC than conventional MPs as the soil sand content
increased in short term incubation, which needs to be considered in
predicting the global impact of increasing biodegradable MPs pollution.