污染物如微塑料(MPs)和重金属常见于土壤中,两者极难降解,很容易形成复合污染,改变土壤的理化性质,从而潜在地改变植物的生长和生理生态特征。为了研究土壤MPs和重金属复合污染对土壤性质和植物生长的影响,研究中选择了粒径为3μm的聚苯乙烯微塑料(PS-MPs)和重金属镉。在不同浓度的PS-MPs(0、10、50、100、200和400mg·kg-1)下,结合不同的Cd污染浓度(0、1.2和6.0mg·kg-1),研究了土壤理化性质的变化及其对莴苣(Lactucasativa)种子萌发和幼苗生长的影响,分别。结果表明,土壤有机质(SOM),有效磷(AP),碱水解氮(AHN),随着PS-MPs与Cd污染强度的增加,有效钾(AK)显着降低。同时,PS-MPs结合Cd污染也显著降低了莴苣种子的发芽率,但是低浓度的PS-MPs减缓了Cd(6.0mg·kg-1)污染对莴苣种子的影响,高浓度的PS-MPs增强了Cd(6.0mg·kg-1)的作用。新鲜的重量,干重,随着PS-MPs暴露的增加,莴苣幼苗的株高呈先上升后下降的趋势。叶绿素含量,超氧化物歧化酶(SOD),过氧化氢酶(CAT),过氧化物酶(POD)呈下降趋势,而丙二醛(MDA)含量在不同Cd浓度下呈总体增加趋势。土壤主要理化指标与莴苣幼苗MDA呈负相关,而幼苗的其他指标呈正相关。PS-MPs和Cd复合污染可通过改变土壤理化性质影响植物种子萌发和幼苗生理生态特性。暴露于单一PS-MPs污染物以及PS-MPs与Cd的结合均抑制了莴苣种子的萌发,并影响了其幼苗的生理活动。抑制作用随着暴露量的增加而明显增加。低暴露于PS-MPs或PS-MPs与Cd污染的组合对莴苣幼苗的生长具有促进作用。PS-MPs高暴露与Cd污染对莴苣幼苗表现出显著的生态效应,和PS-MPs的高暴露加剧了Cd污染物对莴苣幼苗的生态毒理学效应,PS-MPs和Cd表现出协同作用。研究结果可为评估土壤-植物系统中MPs和重金属污染的生态效应提供参考。
Contaminants such as microplastics (MPs) and heavy metals are commonly found in soils, both of which are extremely difficult to degrade and can easily form compound contamination, altering the physicochemical properties of the soil and thus potentially changing the growth and physiological and ecological characteristics of plants. In order to study the effects of the combined contamination of soil MPs and heavy metals on soil properties and plant growth, polystyrene microplastics (PS-MPs) with a particle size of 3 μm and the heavy metal cadmium were selected in the study. The changes in the physicochemical properties of soil and their effects on lettuce (Lactuca sativa) seed germination and seedling growth were studied at various exposure concentrations of PS-MPs (0, 10, 50, 100, 200, and 400 mg·kg-1) and combined with different Cd contamination concentrations (0, 1.2, and 6.0 mg·kg-1), respectively. The results showed that soil organic matter (SOM), available phosphorus (AP), alkali-hydrolysable nitrogen (AHN), and available kalium (AK) showed significant decreases as the intensity of PS-MPs combined with Cd contamination increased. Simultaneously, PS-MPs combined with Cd contamination also significantly reduced the germination rate of lettuce seeds, but low concentrations of PS-MPs slowed down the effect of Cd (6.0 mg·kg-1) contamination on lettuce seeds, and high concentrations of PS-MPs enhanced the effect of Cd (6.0 mg·kg-1). The fresh weight, dry weight, and plant height of lettuce seedlings showed an increasing and then decreasing trend with increasing exposure to PS-MPs. Chlorophyll content, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and peroxidase (POD) showed a decreasing trend, whereas malondialdehyde (MDA) content showed an overall increasing trend under different Cd concentrations. The main physicochemical indicators of the soil were negatively correlated with MDA of lettuce seedlings, whereas other indicators of the seedlings were positively correlated. The combined contamination of PS-MPs and Cd could affect the germination of plant seeds and the physiological and ecological characteristics of seedlings by changing the physicochemical properties of the soil. Both exposure to single PS-MPs contaminants and the combination of PS-MPs with Cd inhibited the germination of lettuce seeds and affected the physiological activities of their seedlings, and the inhibition was significantly increased with increasing exposure. Low exposure to PS-MPs or the combination of PS-MPs with Cd contamination exhibited a promotive effect on lettuce seedling growth. High exposure to PS-MPs combined with Cd contamination exhibited significant ecological effects on lettuce seedlings, and high exposure to PS-MPs exacerbated the ecotoxicological effects of Cd contaminants on lettuce seedlings, and PS-MPs and Cd exhibited synergistic effects. The results can provide some reference for assessing the ecological effects of MPs and heavy metal pollution in soil-plant systems.