Abstract
Microplastics and heavy metals (HMs) in soil pose significant environmental and health risks, yet the interactions between mulch film residues and HMs, and their effects on maize productivity, remain poorly understood. This study examined the impacts of long-term traditional polyethylene mulch film (TMF) and biodegradable mulch film (BMF) residues on soil properties, maize root accumulation of HMs, the arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) community, and maize productivity under open field conditions. TMF residues significantly increased the soil total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, and bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) while lowering soil pH and water content. These changes altered AMF colonization and enriched the Paraglomus genus, leading to enhanced maize leaf antioxidant activity and reduced chlorophyll content, although maize growth was not statistically affected. In contrast, they improved soil nutrient availability (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), increased TC and the C/N ratio, and reduced soil pH. Notably, BMF residues decreased the BACs of As and Cd, reduced AMF spore density without altering community structure, and ultimately enhanced maize biomass. These effects were associated with BMF’s ability to lower pH and chelate HMs, thereby mitigating their bioavailability and promoting plant growth. Furthermore, the enriched abundance of AMF species, particularly from the Claroideoglomus genus, facilitated heavy metal chelation and reduced HM accumulation in plants. The findings underscore the potential of BMF and AMF for co-remediation of microplastics and HMs, highlighting the importance of mulching strategies for sustainable agriculture.
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Claims 20
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch film residues increased soil total carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratio.
Zea maysNot reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“TMF residues significantly increased the soil total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, and bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) while lowering soil pH and water content.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch film residues increased arsenic bioaccumulation coefficient.
- Treatment
- TMF residuese0
- Outcome
- bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“TMF residues significantly increased the soil total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, and bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) while lowering soil pH and water content.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch film residues increased cadmium bioaccumulation coefficient.
- Treatment
- TMF residuese0
- Outcome
- bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd)e0
- Direction
- increasede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“TMF residues significantly increased the soil total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, and bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) while lowering soil pH and water content.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch residues lowered soil pH and water content.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“TMF residues significantly increased the soil total carbon (TC), C/N ratio, and bioaccumulation coefficients (BACs) of arsenic (As) and cadmium (Cd) while lowering soil pH and water content.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch residue changes altered mycorrhizal colonization.
Not reportedComparatorDirection
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These changes altered AMF colonization and enriched the Paraglomus genus”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch residue changes enriched Paraglomus.
- Treatment
- These changese0
- Interactor
- ParaglomusParaglomuse0symbiont
- Outcome
- Paraglomus genuse0
- Direction
- enrichede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These changes altered AMF colonization and enriched the Paraglomus genus”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch residue changes enhanced maize leaf antioxidant activity.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“leading to enhanced maize leaf antioxidant activity and reduced chlorophyll content, although maize growth was not statistically affected.”
e1“TMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch residue changes reduced maize chlorophyll content.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“leading to enhanced maize leaf antioxidant activity and reduced chlorophyll content, although maize growth was not statistically affected.”
e1“TMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Traditional mulch residues did not significantly affect maize growth.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“maize growth was not statistically affected.”
e1“TMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues improved soil nitrogen and phosphorus availability.
- Treatment
- BMF residuese1
- Outcome
- soil nutrient availability (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus)e0
- Direction
- improvede0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“they improved soil nutrient availability (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), increased TC and the C/N ratio, and reduced soil pH.”
t0“Maize”
e1“BMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues increased soil total carbon and carbon to nitrogen ratio.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“they improved soil nutrient availability (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), increased TC and the C/N ratio, and reduced soil pH.”
t0“Maize”
e1“BMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues reduced soil pH.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“they improved soil nutrient availability (e.g., nitrogen and phosphorus), increased TC and the C/N ratio, and reduced soil pH.”
t0“Maize”
e1“BMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues decreased arsenic bioaccumulation coefficient.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BMF residues decreased the BACs of As and Cd, reduced AMF spore density without altering community structure, and ultimately enhanced maize biomass.”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues decreased cadmium bioaccumulation coefficient.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BMF residues decreased the BACs of As and Cd, reduced AMF spore density without altering community structure, and ultimately enhanced maize biomass.”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues reduced AMF spore density.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BMF residues decreased the BACs of As and Cd, reduced AMF spore density without altering community structure, and ultimately enhanced maize biomass.”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues did not alter the AMF community structure.
- Treatment
- BMF residuese1
- Interactor
- AMFe0symbiont
- Outcome
- community structuree0
- Direction
- without alteringe0
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“reduced AMF spore density without altering community structure”
t0“Maize”
e1“BMF residues”
Claim · model-written summary
Biodegradable mulch residues enhanced maize biomass.
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“BMF residues decreased the BACs of As and Cd, reduced AMF spore density without altering community structure, and ultimately enhanced maize biomass.”
Claim · model-written summary
The authors associated biodegradable mulch effects with lower pH and chelation that reduced heavy metal bioavailability and promoted plant growth.
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“These effects were associated with BMF’s ability to lower pH and chelate HMs, thereby mitigating their bioavailability and promoting plant growth.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Enriched Claroideoglomus was reported to facilitate heavy metal chelation.
- Interactor
- ClaroideoglomusEntrophosporae0symbiont
- Outcome
- heavy metal chelatione0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The enriched abundance of AMF species, particularly from the Claroideoglomus genus, facilitated heavy metal chelation and reduced HM accumulation in plants.”
t0“Maize”
Claim · model-written summary
Enriched Claroideoglomus was reported to reduce plant heavy metal accumulation.
- Interactor
- ClaroideoglomusEntrophosporae0symbiont
- Outcome
- HM accumulation in plantse0
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“The enriched abundance of AMF species, particularly from the Claroideoglomus genus, facilitated heavy metal chelation and reduced HM accumulation in plants.”
t0“Maize”
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