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Volume 14
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Article

The Degradability of Microplastics May Not Necessarily Equate to Environmental Friendliness: A Case Study of Cucumber Seedlings with Disturbed Photosynthesis

by
Yi-Fan Zhang
1,2,3,
Zhi-Yun Huang
3,
Yi-Fan Li
3,
Xin-Lei Lu
3,
Gen-Rui Li
3,
Shan-Shan Qi
1,4,
Irfan Ullah Khan
3,
Guan-Lin Li
3,
Zhi-Cong Dai
1,2,3,5,* and
Dao-Lin Du
2,3,6
1
Key Laboratory of Modern Agricultural Equipment and Technology, Jiangsu University, Ministry of Education, Zhenjiang 212013, China
2
School of Emergency Management, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
3
Institute of Environment and Ecology, School of the Environment and Safety Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
4
School of Agricultural Engineering, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
5
Jiangsu Collaborative Innovation Center of Technology and Material of Water Treatment, Suzhou University of Science and Technology, Suzhou 215009, China
6
Jingjiang College, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212018, China
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agriculture 2024, 14(1), 53; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010053
Submission received: 30 November 2023 / Revised: 25 December 2023 / Accepted: 25 December 2023 / Published: 27 December 2023
(This article belongs to the Section Ecosystem, Environment and Climate Change in Agriculture)
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Abstract

In the environment, degradable plastics are decomposed into biodegradable microplastics (Bio-MPs), but there is limited study on the impact on plant growth and development. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate biodegradable polylactic acid microplastics (PLA-MPs) and nonbiodegradable polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) with different concentrations (0.02%, 0.2%, and 2% w/w) to explore their short-term toxic effects on cucumbers. The results of this study showed that PLA-MPs significantly (p < 0.05) reduced the aboveground and belowground biomass of cucumber seedlings compared to the control. At the level of 2% MPs, the chlorophyll content and PRI vegetation index of cucumber plants decreased significantly, anthocyanin content increased, and the photosynthetic system was disturbed. Likewise, the antioxidant defensive system of cucumber was affected after exposure to MPs stress, especially under 2% levels. The hyperspectral image is a novel technique which analyzed the chlorophyll content and absorption under MPs treatment; there was still a high correlation between chlorophyll content, anthocyanin content, and MCARI vegetation index, so a single vegetation index could be used for rapid detection of plant physiological status. Our study suggests that Bio-MPs have potential ecological toxicity that could affect the growth of cucumber seedlings through deactivation of the PSII reaction center. Therefore, biodegradable plastics do not seem to be the optimal solution, and there is an urgent need for long-term monitoring and evaluation of the biological toxicity of biodegradable MPs.
Keywords: biodegradable microplastics; cucumber; photosynthesis; hyperspectral image; plant growth biodegradable microplastics; cucumber; photosynthesis; hyperspectral image; plant growth
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MDPI and ACS Style

Zhang, Y.-F.; Huang, Z.-Y.; Li, Y.-F.; Lu, X.-L.; Li, G.-R.; Qi, S.-S.; Khan, I.U.; Li, G.-L.; Dai, Z.-C.; Du, D.-L. The Degradability of Microplastics May Not Necessarily Equate to Environmental Friendliness: A Case Study of Cucumber Seedlings with Disturbed Photosynthesis. Agriculture 2024, 14, 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010053

AMA Style

Zhang Y-F, Huang Z-Y, Li Y-F, Lu X-L, Li G-R, Qi S-S, Khan IU, Li G-L, Dai Z-C, Du D-L. The Degradability of Microplastics May Not Necessarily Equate to Environmental Friendliness: A Case Study of Cucumber Seedlings with Disturbed Photosynthesis. Agriculture. 2024; 14(1):53. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010053

Chicago/Turabian Style

Zhang, Yi-Fan, Zhi-Yun Huang, Yi-Fan Li, Xin-Lei Lu, Gen-Rui Li, Shan-Shan Qi, Irfan Ullah Khan, Guan-Lin Li, Zhi-Cong Dai, and Dao-Lin Du. 2024. "The Degradability of Microplastics May Not Necessarily Equate to Environmental Friendliness: A Case Study of Cucumber Seedlings with Disturbed Photosynthesis" Agriculture 14, no. 1: 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010053

APA Style

Zhang, Y.-F., Huang, Z.-Y., Li, Y.-F., Lu, X.-L., Li, G.-R., Qi, S.-S., Khan, I. U., Li, G.-L., Dai, Z.-C., & Du, D.-L. (2024). The Degradability of Microplastics May Not Necessarily Equate to Environmental Friendliness: A Case Study of Cucumber Seedlings with Disturbed Photosynthesis. Agriculture, 14(1), 53. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14010053

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