Publication detail

Environmental risk assessment of polyhydroxybutyrate micro-bioplastics – summary of project results

FOJT, J. PECINA, V. PROCHÁZKOVÁ, P. DENKOVÁ, P. BRTNICKÝ, M. KUČERÍK, J. Hammerschmiedt, T. Holátko, J. Malíček, O. Kintl, A.

Original Title

Environmental risk assessment of polyhydroxybutyrate micro-bioplastics – summary of project results

Type

abstract

Language

English

Original Abstract

Mankind invests significant amount of resources and effort to decrease micro-plastics production; one of the solutions is replacement the conventional plastics by biodegradable plastics. However, the conditions for biodegradation are not always met in real environment, thus the degradation of the bioplastics is slow or incomplete and paradoxically it leads to the micro-bioplastics formation [1]. The adverse ecotoxicological effects of conventional micro-plastics on living organisms are known, but the micro-bioplastics are almost overlooked [2]. There is also lack of articles describing the effect of both micro-plastics and micro-bioplastics on soil abiotic processes [3]. We tried to address this issue by analyzing the effect of polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) micro-bioplastics and polyethyleneterephtalate (PET) microplastics. The aim was to assess I) the effects of PHB micro-bioplastics on soil structure, II) the effect of PHB on soil megafauna, and III) how the biodegradation of bioplastics effects the nutrient content, microbiological activity and thus the crops growth. We used following setups. I) Influence of MPs on abiotic characteristics of soil was investigated in sapric histosol spiked with different concentrations of micro-plastics and micro-bioplastics exposed to the different relative humidity. The soil indicator describing the soil water retention and desiccation (water holding capacity and soil water evaporation enthalpy) and effects on soil structure were measured using DSC. II) The ecotoxicological adverse effects caused of PHB was tested according to the OECD acute, chronic and escape earthworm tests. The pot maize plant experiment was conducted to describe effects of PHB micro-bioplastics on the crops and agricultural soil. III) The maize seeds planted in pots were exposed to different concentrations of PHB. Subsequently the pots were kept in the growth chamber for 90 days and then the plants were harvested. The plant biomass, soil microbial activity and soil microorganisms were analyzed. Results: We have found out that contamination of micro-plastics and micro-bioplastics results in changes in the soil organic matter structure and accelerated desiccation of soil. The presence of micro-bioplastics also leads to microbial activity boost, the mineral soil nutrient depletion, and significantly lower yields of biomass.

Keywords

soil, bioplastics, microplastics, soil organic matter

Authors

FOJT, J.; PECINA, V.; PROCHÁZKOVÁ, P.; DENKOVÁ, P.; BRTNICKÝ, M.; KUČERÍK, J.; Hammerschmiedt, T.; Holátko, J.; Malíček, O.; Kintl, A.

Released

25. 11. 2021

Publisher

Vysoké učení technické v Brně, Fakulta chemická

Location

Brno

ISBN

978-80-214-6002-7

Book

Studentská odborná konference CHEMIE JE ŽIVOT 2021 Sborník abstraktů

Edition

1.

Pages from

36

Pages to

38

Pages count

3

URL

https://www.fch.vut.cz/vav/konference/sok/vystupy/sbornik-konference-2021-abstrakty-a5-pdf-p213391

BibTex

@misc{BUT175073,
  author="FOJT, J. and PECINA, V. and PROCHÁZKOVÁ, P. and DENKOVÁ, P. and BRTNICKÝ, M. and KUČERÍK, J. and Hammerschmiedt, T. and Holátko, J. and Malíček, O. and Kintl, A.",
  title="Environmental risk assessment of polyhydroxybutyrate micro-bioplastics – summary of project results",
  booktitle="Studentská odborná konference
CHEMIE JE ŽIVOT 2021
Sborník abstraktů",
  year="2021",
  series="1.",
  pages="36--38",
  publisher="Vysoké učení technické v Brně, Fakulta chemická",
  address="Brno",
  isbn="978-80-214-6002-7",
  url="https://www.fch.vut.cz/vav/konference/sok/vystupy/sbornik-konference-2021-abstrakty-a5-pdf-p213391",
  note="abstract"
}