Effect of macro-and micro-plastics in soil on growth of Juvenile Lime Tree (<i>Citrus aurantium</i>)

Andrew Wirnkor Verla; Christian Ebere Enyoh; Isiuku Beniah Obinna; Evelyn Ngozi Verla; Wang Qingyue; Md. Akhter Hossain Chowdhury; Emmanuel Chinedu Enyoh; Tanzin Chowdhury; Andrew Wirnkor Verla; Christian Ebere Enyoh; Isiuku Beniah Obinna; Evelyn Ngozi Verla; Wang Qingyue; Md. Akhter Hossain Chowdhury; Emmanuel Chinedu Enyoh; Tanzin Chowdhury

doi:10.3934/environsci.2020033

AIMS Environmental Science

2020, Volume 7, Issue 6: 526-541. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2020033

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Research article

Effect of macro-and micro-plastics in soil on growth of Juvenile Lime Tree (Citrus aurantium)

1.
Group Research in Analytical Chemistry, Environment and Climate Change (GRACE & CC), Department of Chemistry, Imo State University (IMSU), Imo State, Nigeria
2.
Department of Chemistry, Imo State University (IMSU), Imo State, Nigeria
3.
Department of Environmental Technology, School of Environmental Science, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, P.M.B.1526, Imo State, Nigeria
4.
Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Saitama University, Saitama, Japan
5.
Dept. of Agricultural Chemistry, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202, Bangladesh
6.
Quality Assurance and Control Department, Intercontinental Distillers Limited, Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Received: 03 September 2020 Accepted: 25 October 2020 Published: 07 December 2020

Plastics in agricultural soils are of current concern to environmental scientist due to potential effects on soil-plant system and food security. In this study, the effect of macro- and micro- sized plastic types of low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) in soil on growth of juvenile lime tree were studied using a pot experiment under ambient field conditions. To determine the effect, seven exposure patterns (single: LDPE, PP, PS and mixture: LDPE+PP, LDPE+PS, PP+PS, LDPE+PP+PS) in soil was tested. The results showed that macro- and micro- plastic residues affected the plant during vegetative growth with LDPE single exposure had the strongest negative effects (inhibition of 0.26%). However, LDPE+PP+PS had some positive effects by improving growth higher than the control. Overall, microplastics showed more negative effects than macroplastics, but the lime tree showed strong tolerance (with tolerance index > 70 %) to the different treatments. Without doubt, more research is urgently needed in order to fully understand the effect and mechanism of macroplastics and microplastics in soil-plant system. When understood remediation methods could be formulated to minimize the effects of plastics which are now ubiquitous in the environment.
- agroecosystem,
- food security,
- lime tree,
- microplastics,
- plastic residues,
- soil
Citation: Andrew Wirnkor Verla, Christian Ebere Enyoh, Isiuku Beniah Obinna, Evelyn Ngozi Verla, Wang Qingyue, Md. Akhter Hossain Chowdhury, Emmanuel Chinedu Enyoh, Tanzin Chowdhury. Effect of macro-and micro-plastics in soil on growth of Juvenile Lime Tree (Citrus aurantium)[J]. AIMS Environmental Science, 2020, 7(6): 526-541. doi: 10.3934/environsci.2020033

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Abstract

Plastics in agricultural soils are of current concern to environmental scientist due to potential effects on soil-plant system and food security. In this study, the effect of macro- and micro- sized plastic types of low density polyethylene (LDPE), polypropylene (PP) and polystyrene (PS) in soil on growth of juvenile lime tree were studied using a pot experiment under ambient field conditions. To determine the effect, seven exposure patterns (single: LDPE, PP, PS and mixture: LDPE+PP, LDPE+PS, PP+PS, LDPE+PP+PS) in soil was tested. The results showed that macro- and micro- plastic residues affected the plant during vegetative growth with LDPE single exposure had the strongest negative effects (inhibition of 0.26%). However, LDPE+PP+PS had some positive effects by improving growth higher than the control. Overall, microplastics showed more negative effects than macroplastics, but the lime tree showed strong tolerance (with tolerance index > 70 %) to the different treatments. Without doubt, more research is urgently needed in order to fully understand the effect and mechanism of macroplastics and microplastics in soil-plant system. When understood remediation methods could be formulated to minimize the effects of plastics which are now ubiquitous in the environment.

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