生物分析および生物医学ジャーナル

Impact of Bioplastics on the Environment of the Soil

Abstract

Ewa Liwarska

The contribution of plastic waste that is disposed of improperly is estimated to be 30% worldwide, and these wastes pose a particular threat to all living things. As a result, in recent years, the evaluation of the potential effects of plastic particles on the biotic component of ecosystems has grown in importance. Consequently, since 2018, the number of publications on this topic has increased. The purpose of this paper is to review recent research on the effects of bioplastic particles and plastics derived from petroleum, also known as (bio) plastics, on the terrestrial ecosystem, particularly soil biota. This is the first review to examine the potential effects of bioplastics and plastics derived from petroleum on the soil compartment. Petroleum-derived plastics were studied more frequently than bioplastics, and 18% of the papers analyzed dealt with bioplastics. Bioplastics were found to have no effect on seed germination. However, they might make the process of germination take longer to complete. Root and stem growth was subjected to effects that were both inhibitory and stimulating. The biochemical activity of nitrifiers and the transformation of carbon compounds were unaffected by bioplastic microparticles. Earthworms were the primary organisms used to examine the effects of petroleum-derived plastics on soil biota, but data on bioplastics are scarce. Microplastics derived from petroleum that can be found in soil at concentrations of up to 1000 mg kg1 typically do not affect earthworm reproduction or cause earthworm mortality. Petroleum-derived plastics may accumulate in the intestine of earthworms and travel up the food chain as micro- and nanoparticles. In conclusion, the final evaluation of bioplastics' ecotoxicity is hampered by the high variability of results and the apparent lack of dose-dependence relationships, necessitating the development of ecotoxicological studies on bioplastics, particularly those on the effects of bioplastics on soil animals.